After leaving a trail of turmoil overseas, China's Olympic torch relay could find its final flashpoint later this month when it arrives in Hong Kong for its first stop in China.

Already, local and overseas groups looking to pressure China on a host of issues are drawing up their own plans after demonstrations in London, Paris and San Francisco earlier this month grabbed global attention.

Szeto Wah, a veteran Hong Kong democratic activist and former member of the Legislative Council, is planning a 'torch of democracy' relay, parallel to the torch relay route, to call for accountability for the 1989 crackdown on students in Tiananmen Square. Members of New York-based Dream for Darfur, including actress and activist Mia Farrow, and Reporters Without Borders, which disrupted last month's torch-lighting ceremony in Greece, will also be in Hong Kong for the torch relay.

As 'special administrative regions' of China, with a distinct set of laws and a broad slate of guaranteed freedoms, Hong Kong and neighboring Macau are the only places under Beijing's rule where large-scale protests are allowed. Hong Kong, which is staging the equestrian events for the Games, is the only co-host city outside the mainland.

All that is raising some awkward questions for Hong Kong, where authorities don't bar activists from protesting and even pledge to 'offer as much assistance as possible to facilitate lawful and peaceful public activities' during the Games. Since its return to China a decade ago, Hong Kong has flourished as a home for demonstrations banned elsewhere on Chinese soil -- protests for democracy, religious freedoms in China and lower taxes, to name a few. But an ugly protest on Chinese soil could look bad for the city's image-conscious overseers in Beijing.

During the Games in August, Hong Kong is expected to be an attractive venue for protesters looking to spotlight Tibetan independence or China's support of the Sudanese government over the Darfur conflict.

Local authorities have made it clear that they will take a firm stand on protesters, warning that the Olympics 'should not be used for any political or religious propaganda,' and that the government 'does not welcome any persons who damage the solemnity of the Olympics or disrupt the smooth proceeding of the relevant Olympic activities in Hong Kong.'

This delicate balancing act will test Hong Kong authorities' ability to uphold the city's freedoms while forging closer ties with Beijing.

Unlike in mainland China, a police crackdown and news media blackout in Hong Kong would be all but illegal, and in any case impossible; any perceived attempt to restrict freedoms would trigger a fierce backlash among Hong Kong's large and well-established democracy movement. But tolerating protests comes with its own dangers, and potential embarrassment for Beijing.

Members of Falun Gong, a spiritual group banned in mainland China, hold daily demonstrations at Hong Kong's most trafficked venues, hoisting banners condemning the Chinese Communist Party and its leaders by name. Kan Hung-cheung, a Falun Gong spokesman, says the group has no special plans for the Games but will be in touch regularly with the Hong Kong police, as is its practice. Mr. Kan's fear: With Tibet in turmoil, Hong Kong could 'feel a lot of heat from Beijing authorities,' which in turn could cause the police to cross the line in keeping the peace -- a fear several legislators here share.

'It's scary, but it's a real possibility,' says James To, a veteran lawmaker with Hong Kong's Democratic Party, a leading opposition party, who has been on the Legislative Council's security panel for 10 years.

In Hong Kong, there is a natural reservoir of support for China and its emergence on the global stage. But the city is also sensitive to any perceived excesses by leaders here and in Beijing.

'It's going to be mixed emotions here,' says Michael DeGolyer, a professor of government and international studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. 'There's not a lot of sympathy for any sort of secessionist movement, be it Taiwan or Tibet, but there are also the human-rights issues, and there's lots of feelings here about that.'

Jill Savitt, director of the Olympic Dream for Darfur campaign, whose group is protesting China's support of the Sudanese government, calls the Hong Kong leg of the torch campaign 'a test case for protest groups and how much they can do' during the Olympics.

'I think what activists, and the world, are most eager to see is how China responds to peaceful protests in front of the world's largest group of unfiltered reporters, and how they treat foreigners,' Ms. Savitt says.

北京奥运火炬即将于本月底抵达香港，这是整个火炬传递过程进入中国后的第一站，可能也是在海外遭遇一连串骚扰后奥运火炬将要经历的最后一个是非之地。

本月早些时候伦敦、巴黎和旧金山奥运火炬传递期间发生的示威活动引起了国际社会的广泛关注。有鉴于此，一些希望在一系列问题上向中国政府施压的香港当地和海外团体正在制定自己的计划。

香港资深民主活动家、前立法会委员司徒华(Szeto Wah)计划发起民主火炬传递活动，以呼吁政府重新评价“八九”政治风波。他们希望能沿着与奥运火炬传递路线平行的路线行进。“达尔富尔之梦”(Dream for Darfur)和“记者无国界”(Reporters Without Borders)两个组织的成员也将在火炬传递期间抵达香港。“达尔富尔之梦”的成员中包括曾就达尔富尔问题批评中国政府的演员和社会活动家米亚•法罗(Mia Farrow)。而不久前“记者无国界”曾对在希腊举行的奥运圣火采集仪式进行过干扰。

“基本法”治下的香港特别行政区及其近邻澳门是中国仅有的两个允许组织大规模游行的地方。本次奥运会的马术项目将在香港举行，从而使香港成为唯一一个大陆之外的奥运协办城市。

这些因素给香港带来了一些让人头痛的问题，香港政府不会阻止游行活动，甚至还保证在奥运期间将尽可能提供帮助，以方便合法、和平的公众活动。自从十多年前主权回归之后，在大陆不能进行的游行活动在香港找到了释放空间，这里时不时就会有涉及民主、宗教信仰自由和减税等主题的游行示威。不过，只要是在中国领土上，任何让政府难堪的示威活动对很在意形像的北京中央政府而言都是很糟糕的事。

广告奥运期间，预计香港可能会成为那些宣传西藏独立或指责中国政府支持苏丹达尔富尔政策的示威者们理想的舞台。

不过港府已表示，将对示威者采取坚定立场。它警告说，奥林匹克“不应被用于任何政治或宗教宣传”，港府“不欢迎任何损害奥运会庄重气氛或干扰奥运相关活动顺利进行的人”。

这对港府来说将是一个很大的挑战，它需要准确拿捏分寸，既不能压制港人的自由，又不能影响它与北京政府保持密切关系。

在香港，警方镇压行动和新闻管制属于违法行为，而且几乎是不可能发生的事，这一点与大陆不同。任何被认为企图限制自由的做法都将触发民主运动人士的强烈反弹，民主运动在香港声势浩大，且拥有良好的声誉。但容忍示威的同时也会带来麻烦，并可能置北京政府于尴尬境地。

在大陆被严禁的法轮功组织在香港人流集中的地区每天都有示威活动。示威者会举着写有谴责中共的标语，上面还会出现中国领导人的名字。该组织发言人简鸿章(Kan Hung-cheung)表示，他们目前尚无针对奥运会的特别计划，不过，他们会与香港警方保持日常接触。他担心，鉴于西藏的乱局，香港方面可能会感受到来自北京政府的很大压力，而这有可能迫使香港警方在维持治安时越界。对此，香港立法会几位议员也有同样的担心。

香港主要反对党民主党的资深议员涂谨申(James To)说，这种情况让人担心，但确实存在这种可能性。

香港自然不乏支持中国及其在全球舞台上崛起的力量，但香港人对中央政府领导人在当地及北京的任何显得过分的行为都非常敏感。

香港浸会大学政府和国际关系学教授戴高礼(Michael DeGolyer)说，香港人在这方面感情很复杂。一方面，人们对任何一种分离主义都不抱多少同情，不论是台湾还是西藏，但同时，这里也涉及到人权问题，而香港人对人权问题很在意。

“达尔富尔之梦”奥运行动计划的负责人吉尔•萨维特(Jill Savitt)称，奥运火炬香港段的传递将是对各示威群体的一次检验，从其结果可以估计出奥运期间这些群体在香港能得到多大的行动自由。

萨维特说，他认为，各个行动组织及全世界最迫切想看到的是，在全世界最大规模的未经“过滤”的记者团面前，中国对和平示威会做何反应，他们会怎样对待外国人。

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