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I was in Hong Kong on vacation this past October and was shocked at some of the political turmoil going on there at the behest of the communist government in China. A little bit about Hong Kong's history is that it was a British territory since the 1800's and was handed over to China in 1997. Under British rule and influence the people there enjoyed freedom of speech and other such things not allowed under China's authoritarian regime. Since Xi Jinping came to power the communist government has been cracking down hard on Hong Kong and some of their western freedoms. I made friends with a few Hong Kong locals who taught me about the "Umbrella Movement" in 2014 and some of the injustices pushed on them by the Chinese not respecting the Sino-British joint declaration promising Hong Kong autonomy for 50 years.
This op-ed article by CNN highlights a few of the things going on in recent events. I think it offers a comprehensive look into developments going on and would urge everyone to read it: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/23/opinions/china-terrifying-moves-hong-kong-bociurkiw/index.html
In Hong Kong's government the people do not have universal suffrage, the majority of the government and the chief executive (their version of a president) are elected by about 1,200 electors representing business/political ties. Nearly all of them get those positions because they are friendly with the communist government in Beijing and Beijing is effectively ensuring Hong Kong's "democratic" government is a puppet to the communist party. There are a faction of "pro-democracy" politicians who support things such as real universal suffrage and more autonomy for Hong Kong. They are routinely targeted by Beijing, the courts in HK, and are frequently banned from running for office or are expelled from elected positions. Several were tossed out over "improper oath taking" when being sworn in.
While I was in HK I saw some political demonstrations for a more "pro-democracy" official running for election, days later she was banned from running. Here's a photo I took of some demonstrators supporting her:
And here's a story discussing her banning: https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/10/...t-lau-siu-lai-standing-kowloon-west-election/
While there, a political party in support of Hong Kong Independence was also banned, with Beijing stating any move towards independence is a "red line" and is also parroted by the HK government. A member of the party was allowed to speak at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondence Club in Hong Kong moderated by a British journalist named Victor Mallet. In response, the government of HK denied him a work visa and has also banned him from being able to visit HK as a tourist and the HK government refuses to expound as to why he was banned (obviously for political reasons).
Free speech, democracy, and other freedoms are constantly under fire in Hong Kong and I think those of us in the west need to be more aware of these issues and the grievances caused by communist China. Many in Hong Kong want to change things but are powerless to do so due to how China has things set up. A major financial center and free society is under threat by authoritarian oppression. Many of the locals do not want to identify as Chinese, do not want to be under the rule of the Chinese communist party, and seek to keep and preserve their human rights.
This op-ed article by CNN highlights a few of the things going on in recent events. I think it offers a comprehensive look into developments going on and would urge everyone to read it: https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/23/opinions/china-terrifying-moves-hong-kong-bociurkiw/index.html
In Hong Kong's government the people do not have universal suffrage, the majority of the government and the chief executive (their version of a president) are elected by about 1,200 electors representing business/political ties. Nearly all of them get those positions because they are friendly with the communist government in Beijing and Beijing is effectively ensuring Hong Kong's "democratic" government is a puppet to the communist party. There are a faction of "pro-democracy" politicians who support things such as real universal suffrage and more autonomy for Hong Kong. They are routinely targeted by Beijing, the courts in HK, and are frequently banned from running for office or are expelled from elected positions. Several were tossed out over "improper oath taking" when being sworn in.
While I was in HK I saw some political demonstrations for a more "pro-democracy" official running for election, days later she was banned from running. Here's a photo I took of some demonstrators supporting her:
And here's a story discussing her banning: https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/10/...t-lau-siu-lai-standing-kowloon-west-election/
While there, a political party in support of Hong Kong Independence was also banned, with Beijing stating any move towards independence is a "red line" and is also parroted by the HK government. A member of the party was allowed to speak at an event hosted by the Foreign Correspondence Club in Hong Kong moderated by a British journalist named Victor Mallet. In response, the government of HK denied him a work visa and has also banned him from being able to visit HK as a tourist and the HK government refuses to expound as to why he was banned (obviously for political reasons).
Free speech, democracy, and other freedoms are constantly under fire in Hong Kong and I think those of us in the west need to be more aware of these issues and the grievances caused by communist China. Many in Hong Kong want to change things but are powerless to do so due to how China has things set up. A major financial center and free society is under threat by authoritarian oppression. Many of the locals do not want to identify as Chinese, do not want to be under the rule of the Chinese communist party, and seek to keep and preserve their human rights.