Viet Nam Human Rights
Hong Kong Protests: A Peaceful and Violent Weekend
27/8/19
As protests in Hong Kong continue over the weekend, thousands of people joined hands to form a human chain that stretched across the city on Friday. It was yet another demonstration – this one entirely peaceful – in a series of protests that have rocked the former British colony for the past 12 weeks.
The "Hong Kong Way" protest was inspired by the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way, a 600-km human chain formed across Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, which at the time were a part of the Soviet Union. Two million people stood hand-in-hand that day to protest Soviet rule.
Yesterday on Aug. 23, organisers estimated that 135,000 people participated in the Hong Kong version, which stretched 60 kilometres across both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Hundreds even made their way up the iconic Lion Rock Mountain, lighting up the peak with cell phone lights.
The human chain marked a shift in tone in the protests, which were often violent. Today, on Aug. 24 protestors reportedly hurled objects and gasoline bombs at police, with police firing tear gas in response.
The Hong Kong protests were sparked by a proposed extradition bill that would allow suspects to be sent to China and possibly face an unjust trial system, making people fearful that Beijing would exploit the law for political reasons. The demonstrations have been further fuelled by anger towards the police for its excessive use of force and protesters' key demands now include complete withdrawal of the proposed extradition bill, as well as genuine universal suffrage.
Earlier this month, two mainland Chinese men were held and beaten at the Hong Kong airport, where protests had disrupted flights for two days in a row. After the incidents, Beijing strongly condemned the protesters and compared the attacks to "terrorism". On the other hand, organisations including Amnesty International and the United Nations have repeatedly criticised the Hong Kong Police Force for its violent methods to control the protests.
Mindful of public opinion, protesters took a decidedly more peaceful direction after those incidents. First, they apologisedfor the airport protests. Then, a peaceful march was organised last weekend, with an estimated 1.7 million attending, echoing two similar marches in June that had attracted one million, then two million a week later – an impressive feat in a city of only 7.4 million residents.
Organisers of the Hong Kong Way issued a statement highlighting Hong Kong protesters' solidarity: "We are no longer divided into ‘peaceful' or ‘frontline' protesters – we are joined as one in our resolve to fight for our freedom."
Protests were scheduled for the weekend and are set to continue for the rest of the month. The Hong Kong government has yet to meet with protesters and has not caved in on any of their demands, leading the city to wonder how its biggest political crisis will ever be resolved.
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PROTESTS continue to engulf Hong Kong after an extradition law moved thousands to the streets in anger.
Protests have gripped Hong Kong since June 2019, sparked by highly controversial legislation to extradite those convicted of crimes to mainland China and Taiwan.
That bill has been shelved for now - but the protests have mushroomed into a broader backlash against the government amid fears of the growing control of China's Communist party.
Protesters also believe their leader should be elected in a more democratic way that reflects the preference of the voters.
A huge cross-section of society including lawyers, journalists, activists and business figures have joined in widespread protests across the region.
Beijing has reacted furiously to the protests, warning those involved not to "play with fire".
Google has shut down 210 channels on YouTube it said were part of a "coordinated” attempt to post material about the ongoing protests in Hong Kong.
the Beijing government was "extremely dissatisfied" with the way Britain had "continuously gesticulated" about Hong Kong.
This would mean only two or three committee-vetted candidates who "love the country" would be able to run - and proved the final straw for those disillusioned by the thinning veneer of democracy.
Despite the mass movement, the protest ended without any political concessions from the government, with three of the most prominent activists sentenced to six to eight months' imprisonment for unlawful assembly.
Hong Kong now operates as a semi-autonomous territory, with control over its own trade, tax, and immigration policy.
What happens after then is currently undecided, but opponents of the Beijing government fear that China will seek to gain control of the territory.
Weekly demonstrations and sit-ins have at times turned tense and violent when police arrive spraying tear gas and rubber bullets.
Protesters are not just fighting their local government. They’re challenging one of the most powerful countries on earth: China.
Hong Kong will definitely never be the same.
Protesters have sustained the demonstrations for 12 weeks, making it hard to keep track of all the developments. Here’s a guide to the unrest in Hong Kong: how it started, what it’s all about, and why China is so worried about it.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. It’s located on the southern coast and borders the Chinese province of Guangdong.
The pro-democracy uprising that has rocked Hong Kong for the past several months began as a protest against proposed amendments to Hong Kong’s extradition law.
Notably, that would include mainland China, a country that arbitrarily imprisons its citizens if they displease the government.
The Hong Kong protesters have five specific demands. The first one remains getting rid of the extradition bill for good.
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