by Megan Leanne Pereira
Hong Kong and China have been on shaky ground ever since they adapted the “one country, two systems” way of living, which began in 1997, after 156 years of the British rule had ended. Despite their newfound freedom, Hong Kong felt as if they were still under Chinese control. In June 2019, the anti-government protests began fueled by this sentiment against a bill that supposedly allowed for extradition to mainland China. The bill was first introduced in April and it was a cause of concern for the citizens of Hong Kong as they felt that the bill would mean that prisoners would be stipulated to unfair trials and unjust treatment by Chinese law enforcement. In addition, they were worried it would allow China to have more control over the running of Hong Kong and also have the upper hand over activists and journalists based in Hong Kong, leading to heightened censorship in the island.
The protests have been progressing for more than 12 weeks and reflect the uproar of frustration felt by the citizens of Hong Kong. Consequently, the once peaceful protests rapidly turned violent, with a rally of rubber bullets being fired into the crowd by police. In response, protestors threw firebombs, bricks and other objects with the intention of a rebuttal. China has claimed that the acts of the citizens of Hong Kong reflect ‘behavior that is close to terrorism’. Understandably, the people of Hong Kong are infuriated and continue to rebel against Chinese forces. With the “one country, two systems” rule, Hong Kong have an independent legal system, different from mainland China. This system is said to allow a certain degree of autonomy and also keeps the freedom of assembly and the freedom of speech under protection. However, with the advent of the extradition bill, this will no longer be the case since these dictate that the aforementioned ‘Basic Laws’ will expire in 2047. In lieu of this bill, the future of Hong Kong’s freedom is still unknown.
Carrie Lam, a Hong Kong politician and the Chief Executive of Hong Kong since 2017, was convinced that the bill would be beneficial to Hong Kong, but citizens of Hong Kong have since said that she has colluded with the Chinese government and does not have Hong Kong’s best interests at heart. Although it was decided that the bill wouldn’t be passed, the protests continue, and its demands have progressed from protest to the citizens of Hong Kong call for complete independence from China. Furthermore, rallies have been taking place all over the world, including the UK, France, Canada, USA and Australia, in support of Hong Kong. This conflict is ongoing, and experts fear that the protests may eventually push Hong Kong into economic recession.
Whatever the implications of this protest for Hong Kong and its relationship with China, it is evident that it has greatly polarized tensions in the South East and heightened dissent against repressive Chinese policies. Unlike Tiananmen Square, this protest is fully documented and happened under the watchful eye of the international community, which inhibits China to take drastic action against protestors. Nonetheless, it is as yet too early to say what exactly these protests might culminate in except that a movement has been stirred in Hong Kong – and one which promises to last beyond the passing of an extradition bill. For more updates, follow The Guardian’s reports on the developments.
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