Senior officials said the five posed a danger to Macau's "stability and public order" and barred them from entering under internal security laws.

The five sent back were "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, trade unionist Lee Cheuk-yan, League of Social Democrats members "Ah Bull" Tsang Kin-shing and Koo Sze-yiu, and so-called "Lady Long Hair" Lui Yuk-lin.

The remaining 28, who included 13 pan-democrat legislators, district councillors and activists, included seven who had previously been denied entry.

Macau's Public Security Police Force Commissioner Lei Siu-peng said the Macau government reserved the right to deny entry to those who violate the purpose of an intended visit and to preserve social stability and public order.

Leung said: "It was a farce. I asked the officers which part of the law I had breached and they said I was in breach of 'the entire law.'"

Despite being allowed in, Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun- yan was not pleased, describing the treatment of the five as political censorship.

Those let in staged a brief protest outside the Macau government headquarters and placed two banners on a fence, one of which read, "Free entry to Macau," alongside a black cross.

Afterwards, as planned, they took part in a one-hour forum on Macau's recently passed Article 23 law, had lunch in a Portuguese restaurant and went for a walk in a tourist area.

Several men thought to be police filmed them for the duration of their trip. Pan-democrats and the Macau pro- democracy legislators said the internal security law was designed to protect Macau citizens against international organized criminals and terrorists and that none of the five denied entry fell into these categories.

Lee suggested that the Macau authorities were worried that his trade union background could mean he wanted to stir up unrest among Macau workers hard hit by the financial crisis. It was the third time in 12 months he had been refused permission to enter Macau.

Au Kam-san, of the pro-democracy New Macau Association, said the Macau government was under pressure to allow in most of the delegation to minimize the criticism and to justify previous claims those denied entry had a history of radical behavior.

"Some Macau people are apathetic to the whole affair since some Macanese are also unable to enter Hong Kong. They believe the debt has been paid,"Au said.

Fellow legislator Antonio Ng Kuok- cheong said the Macau government had abused the internal security law and the act could affect tourism.

Hong Kong Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing said he hoped the issue of denying certain Hong Kong people entry could be resolved soon, since more exchanges between the two sides are expected.

The SAR government said it could not comment on individual cases, adding that the Hong Kong government will continue to monitor the development of the situation.