In what started as a legitimate peaceful protest against a controversial amendment to the extradition law, which provided for the transfer of fugitives to mainland China, where they would have faced trial for any act committed against the state, the protests have now taken an ugly turn; leading to violence and vandalism.
However, what is not clear is why the protests are continuing even when the Chief Executive of Hong Kong had agreed to withdraw the controversial amendment. The protesters are demanding democratic rights where they can choose their leader.
The protests and violence have to be understood in the context of the unbridled freedom the people of Hong Kong had enjoyed before Britain ceded the territory to China. Hong Kong, a former British colony, was ceded to China on July 1, 1997, after the end of the 99-years-lease. China had given the island country on lease to Britain after losing a series of wars fought over the British trade in tea and opium. As per the agreement between Britain and China, Hong Kong would remain a semi-autonomous region for a 50-year-period until 2047.
To assure the people of Hong Kong that China would respect their leased political freedom under its “One Country, Two Systems.” However, from time to time, China has been attempting to wrest political control of Hong Kong, which the people view to be against the spirits of the assurance given to them to safeguard their political freedom. Moreover, people are unsure of their rights after the end of “One Country, Two Systems.” People are already fearful about their fate once the framework with China reaches its 50-year limit.
In 2014, there were large scale protests popularly known as “umbrella protests” after the Chinese government reneged on its promise of full universal suffrage in Hong Kong. The Chinese wanted to pre-screen candidates for the post of Chief Executive Officer, an attempt, viewed suspiciously by the people, to not only curtail their rights and freedoms but to hoist a Chinese-sponsored leader on them.
In 2017, three leaders, Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow, who had demonstrated against granting of full universal suffrage, were arrested and sentenced to six-months imprisonment for unlawful assembly.
If China follows a repressive policy, there is every danger of the movement spiralling out of control and it could be the beginning of the end of the “One Country, Two Systems.”
The situation took an ugly turn when Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, introduced a controversial amendment to the extradition law through a bill called, “The Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019.” There were widespread protests, where over one million citizens took to the streets; calling for the withdrawal of the controversial bill while also demanding Carrie Lam to step down. The unprecedented protests received a lot of international publicity; forcing the Chief Executive to withdraw the contentious extradition law. The success of the protests far exceeded the umbrella movement of 2014. In an attempt to quell the protests, thugs were sent to attack people, especially the commuters and protesters, which received international condemnation. The violence has now turned ugly; forcing a shut down of educational institutions. Many students, especially the Chinese, have returned home; fearing an escalation of violence between protesters and the police.
The Chinese government should immediately grant full autonomy to Hong Kong, as people have raised their voice against the imposition of various restrictions on their freedoms and not allowing them to elect their leader. China should pave the way for a free and fair election and refrain from hoisting their puppet on the people.
In an article published in a Hong Kong paper, the author opined that giving Hong Kongers true democracy and formulating beneficial socioeconomic policies are the only solutions to end the current crisis. It may be pertinent to note that the people of Hong Kong are fighting for the protection of democracy and at no point have they raised questions on unification with China.
The local government should immediately initiate dialogue with the protesters without any precondition to restore the confidence of the people and to put an end to the vicious cycle of violence. However, this is not an easy task as any move to grant freedom will have serious consequences in Mainland China. People in many regions are now trying to assert their rights against a repressive regime. Over a million Uyghur and Kazak Muslims in Xinjiang province have been rounded up and put in so-called educational reform camps with the sole purpose of forcibly integrating them with the majority Han community. Such an attempt is to force the Uyghur to renounce their Turkic language as well as Islam.
Today, China finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place. If it allows universal suffrage under the “One Country, Two Systems,” it will have serious domestic ramifications. On the other hand, if it refuses to grant universal suffrage, demonstrations in Hong Kong will take an ugly turn as the people will refuse to live under a Chinese-controlled authoritarian regime. Knowing the Chinese government, they may use force against the people of Hong Kong to prevent such large scale demonstrations, which could lead to serious international ramifications. They have already moved PLA soldiers to Hong Kong to quell the riots.
One is also not clear what would happen to the fate of Hong Kong, once the 50-year lease agreement ends in 2047. If China follows a repressive policy, there is every danger of the movement spiralling out of control and it could be the beginning of the end of the “One Country, Two Systems.” Today, Taiwan would be relieved that it did not fall for the bait of “One Country, Two Systems” offered by Deng Xiaoping, after seeing what is happening in Hong Kong.
The writer is an independent columnist and commentator