Now the group, who had traveled to Manila to observe the first anniversary of the tragedy that killed eight Hong Kong citizens, said they are turning to the Hong Kong community and beyond to seek support. 

Victims of the incident died at the hands of a disgraced ex-policeman demanding reinstatement after being fired for shaking down prisoners. 

Tse Chi-hang, younger brother of the slain Hong Kong tour guide Masa Tse Ting-chunn, said the group felt "very angry and very sad" over what they termed President Benigno Aquino III's strongly-worded rejection of the request that he make an apology on the anniversary. 

Aquino, instead, issued a statement saying the hostage-taking was "one man's action" but that it was not the fault of the entire country. 

The older brother of Masa, Tse Chi-kin, accused Aquino of showing a "bad attitude" and not respecting the injured and the dead. 

The group posted a petition on the Internet addressed to President Hu Jintao, calling on Hong Kong citizens to affix their signatures. More than 3,000 have signed the petition since the campaign was launched on Aug 26 afternoon. 

The letter will be delivered to the central government through the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong. 

In the letter the survivors and families of victims asked for an apology, compensation for their loss, punishment of officials accountable for the tragedy, and serious measures to improve safety of Chinese tourists. 

They also refer to the pain and anger they felt during their stay in Manila. 

The survivors and families expressed the hope that President Hu will support them during President Aquino's visit to Beijing. 

The group also wrote a letter to Chief Executive Donald Tsang, requesting a meeting with him. 

guojiaxue@chinadailyhk.com