Hong Kong - The new leader of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong said Thursday that he believed China should reverse its verdict on the students killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Bishop John Tong, who took up his duties in the former British colony Thursday, said China was wrong to brand the 1989 Beijing student movement a counterrevolutionary rebellion.

However, Tong, who has taken over from outspoken Cardinal Joseph Zen, said he would not be taking part in the Hong Kong events marking the 20th anniversary of the massacre in June.

Asked about the massacre, in which hundreds of civilians were shot dead by Chinese security forces, the new bishop told government-run radio station RTHK that the official verdict should be changed and said: "Life is very precious. All life should be protected.

"Violence cannot solve problems. The church always upholds dialogue or negotiation for the solution of problems or conflicts."

Tong also said he wanted to see full democracy in Hong Kong as soon as possible.

"We are born free and human rights are given by God and should not be restricted by any political government," he said. ""Therefore, in principle, I support fully universal suffrage, the earlier to be implemented, the better."

Hong Kong currently has only limited democracy as a special administrative region of China. Beijing has so far ruled out full democracy until at least 2017.

Tong was expected to be a relatively low-key church leader compared with his predecessor, the retired 77-year-old Zen, who was an outspoken critic of China's human rights record.

The only public memorial on Chinese soil marking the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4 is to be held in Hong Kong, the only place in China where the anniversary is observed.

Tens of thousands of people take part in a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong's Victoria Park every June 4, and Zen was a regular at the annual event as well as at pro-democracy protests.

Hong Kong is home to around 250,000 practising Roman Catholics, including the territory's Beijing-appointed chief executive, Donald Tsang.(dpa)