A Note on Hong Kong Protests
 

· Chinese Extradition Law flames protests across Hong Kong

From Hong Kong: By Prof. Dr. Stephan Ortman, Political Science Assistant Professor at City University, Hong Kong

In June 2019, Hong Kong experienced mass protests that the city had never experienced before. The marches were larger than the July 1st protest in 2003 which had drawn 500,000 people. Back then, protesters had railed against national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the territory’s mini-constitution, which many saw as an assault on the highly cherished freedom of speech and assembly.

Similarly, the current proposed changes to the extradition law are viewed as an attempt to undermine the territory’s rule of law as criminals could be sent to mainland China, which is infamous for its opaque legal system and frequent television confessions. As such, it is viewed as a threat to the “One Country, Two Systems” principle which has guaranteed Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years since the handover from British colonial to Chinese control in 1997.

The fear that Hong Kong could lose its special status prematurely led to mass mobilization as more than a million people protested on two consecutive Sundays in June and clashes between protesters and the police occurred during the week. While the government under Chief Executive Carrie Lam eventually decided to postpone the law, she did not withdraw it as protesters had demanded. This angered many who then demanded the resignation of

Lam. Clashes between protesters and the police occurred during the week. While the government under Chief Executive Carrie Lam eventually decided to postpone the law, she did not withdraw it as protesters had demanded. This angered many who then demanded the resignation of Lam.

    So far, all she has done is to “sincerely” apologize. These events contrast with 2003 when the protest successfully led to the shelving of the law, while the chief executive Tung Chee Hwa eventually resigned, although not officially as a response to the protests. The current events have also been compared with the previously so-called Umbrella Movement of 2014 in which activists had demanded real universal suffrage. However, although a large segment of the population took part in the 79-day street occupation, its official goal then was not simply the preservation of Hong Kong’s autonomy but to enhance it through real democratic elections.

Eventually, the government also did not make any concessions such as changes to its very limited electoral reform proposal, which was eventually voted down in the partially democratically elected legislature. Unfortunately, for Hong Kongers, the Chinese government has viewed the protests with great concern and has sought to increase its control after each protest. While this obviously is not having the desired effect, it seems possible that further restrictions on the local system are imminent. The future of Hong Kong is becoming increasingly uncertain and any further erosion of autonomy will have devastating economic consequences as many already are considering emigrating to other places such as Taiwan, Singapore, or North America.