HONG KONG: A NON-INTERVIEW*
Today, the leaders of the Hong Kong protest movement were arrested by the Chinese government and the further protests are banned. It is critical for the West to learn some basics about Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy, support their fight and learn from these courageous people.
- Demonstrators in Hong Kong protest the erosion of the principle “one country, two systems” ensuring Hong Kong stays a democracy while technically being a part of China, a communist country.
- The protests started in June 2019 after a bill on extradition of Hong Kong citizens to China was passed. The bill threatened the Hong Kong critics of the Chinese government that would be extradited to China. The Chinese authorities are known for torturing prisoners and the overall disregard for human rights.
- Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam promised that the law would not apply to free speech but the protests continued and by mid-June 2019 two million protestors were in the streets.
- In late July, the protestors shut down the airport in Hong Kong.
- By August 5, 2019, half of the city was shut down.
The movement has five key demands for Hong Kong’s government:
to withdraw the extradition bill;
to officially retract descriptions of the protests as a “riot;”
to drop charges against protesters; to launch an investigation into police force during the protests;
and “universal suffrage,” which would allow HongKong voters to directly pick their leaders rather than the current process that includes Beijing’s involvement.
It is unclear if the demands are realistic although the extradition bill was withdrawn.
- Protesters are arrested, beaten with batons on a regular basis and tear gas is used.
- Hong Kong police impersonate protesters, infiltrate the protests, and provoke violence, proceeding to beat up the protesters. 45 people were hospitalized after just one incident.
- The role of information war: China is sowing discord by spreading nationalist and anti-Western messages on social media platforms and state media blaming the protest on the US and EU and depicting the protestors as terrorists paid for by the US and EU.
- Total surveillance is used by the Chinese government. Protestors take down the face recognition towers in the streets. Hong Kong citizens had to leave their mobile devices (phones, iPads) while traveling and facing border control for the fear of the Chinese governments prosecuting them for sympathies to protesters or participation in demonstrations.
*I intended this article as an interview and asked several of my Hong Kong contacts to comment on the points above. I was unable to get anyone local to talk. The risk of giving interviews about the situation is too great. I regret to publish these facts without the comments but it is critical to get the word out. The article will be updated when/if I get to interview people in Hong Kong.
