That shows the difference between the admittedly flawed American democracy and China's authoritarian form of government. Not only can a US minority run for the highest office, he can also speak openly about the most sensitive of subjects.

Meanwhile, all foreigners have been shoved out of Tibet so that China can crack down without more embarrassing videos showing up on the internet. There will be no frank discussions of racial tensions in Tibet. There will be no discussion at all.

But neither China's constant boasting about its 56 nationalities nor the showcase political bodies where appointed minorities sit in their "native" finery in a transparent tokenism will do. China knows what minority rights should be and what minority mistreatment is.

It criticizes the US record every time it issues reports on such abuses in China.

Both governments have dirty hands, but only America has a political system open to protest or dramatic change. No one can say today's US economic or political situation for minorities is anything like that of 40 years ago.

But in Tibet, clearly something is wrong. The problems should not be covered up. Just as China's leaders learned with the SARS crisis, transparency about a crisis goes far to calm fears.

China needs to recall, the whole world turns its eyes toward Beijing this year at China's own invitation. Millions of foreign "minorities" will be attending the Olympics. Beijing's leaders need to remember not only Chinese or Tibetans are concerned about how China treats minorities.

China's secretiveness has done it no favors with public opinion. On the other hand, Obama's speech clearly struck a chord in America and around the world.

In less than a week the speech was viewed millions of times - on YouTube alone nearly four million have watched one of at least three versions. That doesn't count millions more who viewed it live, on The New York Times website, Obama's website and the many other places it has been posted.

The speech has already been classified as one of the great masterpieces of English. But there is much more to it than skill of phrasing or the style of its delivery.

Honesty stands out. Slavery stained the US Constitution from the start, Obama admits.

"Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our constitution, a constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time. And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part - through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk - to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time."

Courage and protests and legal action transformed words on paper into a unifying practice. Do not quelch protest or political change, China. Let your citizens direct it toward building a more perfect union.

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong we still discuss our very flawed bill protecting minorities against discrimination. We are the part of China most advanced in democracy and in the rule of law.

Our racial relations have been peaceful, but they have not been just or fully fair.

In the name of justice, but also for the sake of China's reputation, fix and pass this bill before the Olympics. Make it a bill we can be proud of.

To Democrats and patriots in Legco and to our chief executive: this is in the national interest.

Deal openly with this issue. Show the nation how to heal its differences in a frank and fair manner.