written by Reina Wong and edited by Alice Shu
Hong Kong is a beautiful city. From the delicious food to unique activities, it is truly breathtaking. Every time I go, I have the most amazing time and I always want to go back. But in light of current events, I feel I have an obligation to inform others about the situation of such an amazing place. But first, let’s review a little bit of its history.
In 1898, Britain agreed to charter Hong Kong from China for 99 years and was a colony under British rule for 130 years until 1997. When the end of the charter approached, China and Britain worked together to create a series of agreements that would decide the colony’s future. After the Basic Law, which says that Hong Kong will have freedom of speech and assembly, was ratified by Hong Kong’s parliament, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region controlled by the Chinese central government. The plan was for Hong Kong to have some independence under the principle of “one country, two systems” and they would continue to have control of their internal government (courts, law-making, executive government, etc.), while China would gain control of Hong Kong’s foreign affairs and external security.
In 2019, a new extradition bill was introduced by the Chinese government. It would close loopholes so that Hong Kong would not be as safe for criminals. These proposals were introduced after a man murdered his girlfriend while on vacation in Taiwan and left Taiwan. He then returned to Hong Kong a year later. aThe existing extradition law specifically states that it wouldn’t apply to “the Central People’s or the government of the People’s Republic of China” but the new changes would permit the Hong Kong government to consider requests from any country for the deportation of suspects, even if they don’t have an extradition treaty and including mainland China, Taiwan, and Macau. The people of Hong Kong protested saying that this subjected them to biased trials and brutal treatment and that it could target would be safe, including journalists, activists, lawyers, and social workers. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam suspended the bill perpetually.
Protesters were afraid that the bill could be brought back and they wanted it abolished completely. The violence between law enforcement and protesters intensified and became more frequent. The government repealed it in September, but people said it was too insufficient. The violence continued and Hong Kong suffered one of its catastrophic days on October 1. While protesters fought police officers with gas bombs and poles, an 18-year-old was shot in the chest with a live bullet. A pro-Beijing lawmaker was stabbed by a person pretending to be a supporter. The government then prohibited protesters from wearing face masks and coverings. These incidents are only a few of several violent encounters between protesters and Hong Kong law enforcement.
The protesters have embraced the motto: “Five demands, not one less!” Their demands are for the protests to not be treated as riots, pardon for arrested protesters, an independent investigation into rumored police brutality, enforcement of complete universal suffrage, and termination of the bill, which has been done. The protests encouraging the Hong Kong movement have gone global, with marches taking place in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada.
It is truly heartbreaking to see such a magnificent city falling apart and being separated. At this time, it is uncertain when these protests will end but we are hoping it will de-escalate and regain peacefulness.
Sources:
Cover Photo by Simon Zhu on Unsplash
Rafferty, J. P. (n.d.). A Look at Hong Kong and China 20 Years After Reunification. Retrieved November 01, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/story/a-look-at-hong-kong-and-china-20-years-after-reunification
The Hong Kong protests explained in 100 and 500 words. (2019, November 28). Retrieved November 01, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49317695
Hong Kong-China extradition plans explained. (2019, December 13). Retrieved November 01, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-47810723
Blakemore, E. (2019, August 13). How Hong Kong's complex history explains its current crisis with China. Retrieved November 01, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/topics/reference/hong-kong-history-explain-relationship-china/
Mayberry, K. (2019, June 11). Hong Kong's controversial extradition bill explained. Retrieved November 01, 2020, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/6/11/hong-kongs-controversial-extradition-bill-explained
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