Now, 10 months after tanks of the People's Liberation Army crushed Beijing's democratic spring, a grim desperation grips Hong Kong. Many of the best and the brightest are packing their bags.

Last week, a team of recruiters flew into Hong Kong and offered one-third of the territory's air traffic controllers jobs and passports in Australia.

"The only thing that can restore Hong Kong's confidence is democracy," says Hong Kong lawyer and legislative councillor Martin Lee.