Political Agitations of Hong Kong
Photo Source: Al Jazeera
By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe UpFront
Hong Kong has become a powder keg, and a city on the edge. Anger has been brimming, from all quarters of the society, as over million protestors, about fifteen per cent of the population, mostly young, in black-clad uniforms, belonging from myriad political camps, and social groups, marched the streets, to protest a new law, that would allow people, accused of crimes, from Hong Kong, to be extradited, to China.
These prisoners would then be subjected, to China’s ‘opaque justice system’. It is a move that would also make Hong Kong, a safe haven, for many Chinese bureaucrats, and leaders.
The protestors also seemed to have paranoias,
of political manoeuvring, from the Chinese, that included
spying. They also want the release of previous protestors, held
accountable, in the past. Hongkongers also believe that the Chinese government also
has several local gangs, at their disposal, and several other several teams,
including intelligence.
For several weeks, protestors had blocked
all-important roads, leading to the city centre, and huddled near police
headquarters, creating a political storm. It is because one of the privileges,
Hong Kong has, since the late 1990s, is a semi autonomy system, that consists
of an independent judicial branch. In June 2019, police had used pepper spray,
rubber bullets, and tear gas. All the mayhem, resulted, from the situation, has
led the executive Carrie Lam, a Chinese agent, or a puppet, by every means, to
publicly apologise and suspend the law. The protestors want him to resign,
despite Lam giving a public apology. In this raging time, a girl, in a deep
meditative pose, sitting on the road, has become iconic, in these protests.
Called as the ‘Shield Girl’, she was recently showcased, in an artwork, from
China’s leading dissident artist, Badicua. But, the opposition fears, that once
the protests die down, they might re-implement the law, causing new tensions.
The British newspaper, The Independent,
reported that one hundred eighty thousand citizens, attended a vigil, in the
city’s Victoria Park. This place symbolises, to many, a place of commemoration,
of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, where Chinese Communists, once upon a time,
commanded to disperse the crowds, in an attempt to nullify the call, for a
democratic China. This place, still, is a popular visiting spot, for
locals, and foreign visitors, even after three decades. Historically, during
the 2005 World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting, in the city, riots had
happened, and the locals received beatings.
As a reaction, the rioting of Hongkongers has
also resulted, in some convictions. At least five protestors have been jailed,
and they might get heavy prison sentences, based on the country’s law. Unlike
2014 umbrella movement, it is largely perceived, as a leaderless movement, and
deployed modern use of technology, such as social media apps, like Telegram,
that was eventually taken down, by the government. They also used airdrop, a
file sharing application, on Apple devices, to share messages, and memes.
Protestors also used cash to buy tickets, rather than travel cards, that would allow
them to be tracked, as some protestors also hurled metal barriers, at the
police. Their response had been ferocious.
Isaac Cheng, the vice
chairperson of pro-democracy group, Demosisto, vouches
upon this fact. Five years back, it was Joshua Wong, Demosisto’s co-founder, who
started the umbrella movement.
Student’s
Union of Higher Institutions had reiterated four demands from Lam, which
included withdrawing extradition law, completely, and permanently, dropping all
charges laid down against protestors, and establishing an independent probe,
into the claims of ‘police brutality’.
The
union gave a strong statement lately: ‘Hongkongers do not need
crocodile tears from a murderous regime, nor will we accept a mere suspension of the bill'. The agitating scenes, created out a controversy, suggest that
China is willing to have more control over the city, on its southern coast.
This law is been seen, as a threat, to its autonomy, as Hongkongers, saw in it,
the collapse of Hong Kong’s economic prosperity, and betrayal of promises,
assured, in the 1980s. Hong Kong, reverted back, to China, in 1997. The
autonomy is set to last till fifty years, till 2047. Culturally, there is also
a desire for a British way of life, and the return of British era institutions.
That’s why Hong Kong, almost looks as an ungovernable city, at the present
moment in time.
To Reuters, in an interview, Robert
Chung, the director of the Public Opinion Programme at The University of
Hong Kong (HKUPOP) commented that the
headcounts of protestors carry little importance, and it is more about the the reality of regional politics, that he is concerned about, even though there are
techniques, such as Jacob’s method, that can measure the capacity to hold
protests, at any place, for analysts. ‘We are still caught between the
unnecessary tension between science and democracy,’ he said.
Around five years ago, the Communist Party of China, rejected
the chance, of democratic reform, leading to the Umbrella Movement. It was a
three-month occupation on the streets, and many young people were politicised
by it. The movement was crushed, when many pro-independence lawyers,
self-determination seeking, frontline activists, were imprisoned
In
The Independent Oped, Joshua Wong, and Alex Chow wrote: ‘Once upon a time, the
people of Hong Kong were proud of creating a robust, an export-oriented
industrial city, one of the four Asian tiger economies, later turning into a
global financial city with booming tourism’.
As
turmoil, and anarchy spread, business tycoons, started moving assets, out of
the city, and backed away, from major business deals.
Hongkongers
believe, that under the current global scenario, the world is seeing their
city, as an unlivable place, with a high influx of industrial activities,
cowing press behaviour, lack of fairness in social and land policies, and high
housing costs, in a concrete jungle. This deterioration also reflects the
arrogance, and ineptitude of Hong Kong officials, and Chinese officials.
Hongkongers, in this living age, have high ambitions, that include
co-existence, vibrancy, equality, and various other value systems.
All
these protests, do indicate, Hong Kong’s relentless pursuit, for a sustainable
democracy, a system, that is continuously deteriorating, by external
political factors. In history, its sovereignty was handed down, from Britain to
China, in 1997, under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, in 1984. It now seems inevitable that Hongkongers want power, to be devolved, to the local people.
Comments
Post a Comment
Advice from the Editor: Please refrain from slander, defamation or any kind of libel in the comments section.