The United States believes Beijing has too much influence in Hong Kong and has threatened to cease recognition of the special administrative zone’s autonomous status, with potentially far-reaching consequences.

US: Hong Kong No Longer Has a ‘High Degree of Autonomy’

The US decided on Wednesday that Hong Kong no longer had a “high degree of autonomy.” The statement came in response to new security laws for Hong Kong that China announced last week and approved this Thursday at the end of its National People’s Congress. It arguably marks the end of individual rights for the Chinese special administrative region.

China’s Premier Li Keqiang defended China’s decision on Thursday. The law served the “constant implementation” of the “one country, two systems” principle and ensured “long-term stability and prosperity” in Hong Kong.

The 1992 US-Hong Kong Act allowed Washington to treat Hong Kong as fully autonomous in trade and economic matters even after Britain returned it to China in 1997. Hong Kong is currently exempt from US punitive tariffs on China and, unlike China, still allowed to import certain sensitive technologies.

However, these exceptions are subject to the condition that Hong Kong can act autonomously from China. It seems apparent that Washington no longer considers Hong Kong autonomous. Accordingly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that no reasonable person could claim that Hong Kong had maintained a high degree of autonomy vis-à-vis China given the facts.

Range of Options for Cancelling Hong Kong’s Special Status

Withdrawing autonomy status would provide the United States with various options. One of these are sanctions against Chinese officials, such as visa restrictions or asset freezes in the United States. A much more severe option is to withdraw Hong Kong’s special trading status, which is currently still treated independently of China under commercial law. If the US government denied Hong Kong this special status, Hong Kong would be affected by the same rules that apply to mainland China, which would be a hard blow to the Hong Kong economy. Which option the US will utilize is with President Trump. The latter had already announced that “something would be done” in the next days.

China Says it Will Take ‘Necessary Countermeasures’

The Chinese embassy in Washington, meanwhile, said in a statement on Wednesday that China’s new Hong Kong legislation targets a “very narrow category of actions that pose a serious threat to national security” and “do not affect Hong Kong’s high level of autonomy, rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents or have the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors in Hong Kong.” However, the embassy also stated that China was inclined to take “necessary countermeasures” to any US action.

Hong Kong Prime Minister Carrie Lam also defends the national security law, saying that it was “totally unacceptable” for foreign lawmakers to interfere in Hong Kong’s internal affairs. Sanctions would only further complicate the situation in the city, Lam said.

Chinese Media Slams American ‘Troublemakers’

In mainland China, the US’ decision was heavily criticized in the Chinese state media. On Thursday night, state-run news agency Xinhua Washington accused the US of conspiring with the “troublemakers” in Hong Kong. Moreover, Washington politicians were “selectively blind” and only interested in “accusing, attacking and slandering China” while supporting Hong Kong and the powers behind it. The latter was precisely the reason why national security legislation was necessary.

There is no question that the security law passed by the National People’s Congress will significantly increase the rights of the Chinese central government to intervene in Hong Kong and Macau, and thus further exacerbating the tense situation. Even more: undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy has the potential to affect trust in the Hong Kong as an international economic hub noticeably and for years to come, while China runs the risk of further jeopardizing its international credibility.

Hong Kong used to be under British rule from 1841 to 1997, apart from a brief period under Japanese occupation during World War II. Britain eventually agreed to transfer the entire colony to China in 1997 after obtaining guarantees that Hong Kong’s system, its freedoms, and way of life would be preserved for at least five decades.

L'articolo The US and Hong Kong’s Special Status proviene da InsideOver.

Visitors to Hong Kong who come from China will now be quarantined for 14 days without exception following widespread calls for Chief Executive Carrie Lam to do more as the Wuhan coronavirus spreads. The situation has escalated to the point where some Hong Kong doctors have even gone on strike to emphasize their demands for stricter actions to be taken.

Global Deaths From Coronavirus Are Increasing

At midnight Saturday, the order, the “Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance,” came into effect. The measure came following the first Hong Kong death from the virus on Tuesday. Globally, the number of fatalities skyrocketed from 67 to 492 from Tuesday to Wednesday with all but two in mainland China, as James Griffiths reported for CNN.

Doctors first began considering a strike at the beginning of February when the coronavirus had yet to claim a life in Hong Kong, yet doctors feared near-unrestricted access for mainland Chinese visitors would perpetuate and worsen the crisis. 

Hong Kong Medical Workers Unite

Benjamin So was one such doctor who prepared to strike, according to Quartz. Instead of reporting to work at Queen Mary Hospital, he quarantined himself in a hotel room after coming into contact with two patients diagnosed with the virus. At the time, Hong Kong had only 12 confirmed cases. That was only a week ago.

He took the drastic step of quarantining himself at his own expense in order to possibly prevent the spread, although such a measure seems ineffective at combating its inevitable transmission.

So was critical of Lam’s government — its lack of border controls and hospital oversight, in particular.

‘They Haven’t Had Clear Contingency Plans’

“I would say the Hospital Authority has been quite slow in responding to this outbreak and they haven’t had clear contingency plans…it shows how limited our resources are,” So said. “If a full community outbreak does happen there’s no way our medical system can deal with that.”

So was one of more than 6,500 nurses and doctors who vowed to strike if Lam’s government did not appropriately respond to the situation. Although initially Hong Kong closed six ports, it would only stop an estimated 10% of visitors from the mainland. Medical personnel would rather see all 14 ports closed, but so far, Lam refuses to take such a step, opting instead for a 2-week quarantine on arrival. On Monday, five more border crossings were shutdown, leaving three open: Hong Kong International Airport, the Shenzhen Bay joint checkpoint, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

The effectiveness of this strategy remains to be seen. The last time the government enforced a quarantine, it was under far different circumstances. In 2008, the quarantine was not aimed at the outbreak of a single virus, but rather a list of 45 diseases. 

Medical Strike Began Last Monday And Is Growing

The strike began on Monday with 2,700 medical workers failing to report for work on Monday, forcing delays for cancer treatments and angioplasty surgeries. The next day, 7,000 were absent. 

Winnie Yu, chairperson of the Hospital Authority Employee’s Alliance, spoke on behalf of 9,000 workers in the union. 

“There is still a chance to save Hong Kong from the destiny of turning into another Wuhan, being cut off from the world, patients turned away from fully occupied hospitals, and healthcare staff crumbling under the severe pressure,” Yu said, according to BMJ medical journal.

Yu was pessimistic about Lam’s government preventing the spread with only a partial border closure. Although medical services are being hindered by the strike, workers are likely to find support with a sympathetic general public, which overwhelmingly supports a border closure. The Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute found 78% of 20,000 people in favor of a full border closure and 61% stood behind striking workers.

Lam Responds To The Strike

Lam responded to allegations that politics were driving her decision making by not closing off the city. According to Al Jazeera, Lam said she “certainly would not agree with the allegation that we are not addressing this public health concern adequately. Certainly, I do not agree with the allegation that we are putting politics above public health.”

Furthermore, Lam made clear her position that her government cannot restrict visitors based on their race, saying “we have to treat them all equally.”

The crisis and standoff between doctors and the Hong Kong government is another battle of Lam versus the public. If her willingness to hold out on the Chinese extradition strikes is any indication, Lam will continue to do all she can to have her way, no matter the costs. This time, however, the consequences could be far more severe.

L'articolo Hong Kong Doctors Strike As Coronavirus Spreads proviene da InsideOver.

The clean sweep by pro-democracy candidates in the recently concluded district council elections against the backdrop of prolonged street agitation by Hong Kongers may be termed as a victory of democracy in Hong Kong. But China thinks otherwise. Hong Kongers may rejoice on the triumph of pro-democracy candidates, but will this success pave the way for greater democracy for Hong Kongers or force China to stiffen its stand is a question, reply to which is being eagerly awaited by the industrial and political communities across the globe. Pro-democratic candidates’ victory has angered the Chinese government, and it is apparent by the Communist Party newspaper, The People’s Daily’s stand that the triumph is foreign powers’ conspiracy.

Echoing the government’s stand, China Daily in an editorial said that young agitators sabotaged the campaign of pro-establishment candidates and threatened their supporters from exercising their franchise. The newspaper termed the results as a setback for Hong Kong’s democratic development. But the protestors are adamant and unwilling to back off until their demands are met – demands include an independent inquiry into police’s high-handedness, a general amnesty for arrested protesters, revocation of the classification of the protesters as “rioters”, and complete universal suffrage. Protesters are also demanding the resignation of Lam as chief executive.

Beijing and the Hong Kong governments, however, are reluctant to give in to the demands. Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman at a scheduled press conference, said, “Hong Kong affairs are purely domestic affairs as it is part of China. We are in support of ‘one country, two systems’ principle and are against foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs,” Geng added. Xi has reportedly said that any attempt to divide China would end with “bodies smashed and bones ground to powder.”

The US President Donald Trump’s ratification of the Human Rights and Democracy Act authorizes sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights abuses. The Act also bans US-made crowd control weapons’ export to Hong Kong police, and all these have given reasons to protesters to rejoice, but China is furious. The Chinese Foreign Ministry statement says, “The US has been denying facts and distorting the truth. It is backing criminals who are engaged in violent activities, smashing facilities, setting the fire, assaulting innocent civilians, breaking the rule of law, and jeopardized social order.”

Uncertainty Looms for Hong Kong

China is in no mood to allow Hong Kong too much autonomy when it questioned local courts’ right to declare laws unconstitutional if they flout the Basic Law or Hong Kong’s mini-constitution. The Chinese action was prompted by the Hong Kong court’s decision to strike down a controversial anti-mask law that was forcefully pushed by Chinese officials. From Beijing’s point of view, a disruptive Hong Kong presents a severe threat of the unrest spreading to the mainland. Military intervention in Hong Kong would prove to be “too costly” for China and would spell doom for free-wheeling Hong Kong.

The protest is unlikely to fizzle out even if Beijing shows restraint towards Hong Kong due to the massive resentment towards the elite government class that dominates the economy and the Hong Kong police force.

In light of China’s crackdown in Xinjiang and Tibet, it seems the international community, including the United States, Britain, and others, have limited scope to support the protest movement in the long run. China may not have an answer to the current imbroglio, but history stands testimonial to the fact that China is a hard nut to crack and will not buckle under pressure.

L'articolo Is Pro-Democratic Candidates’ Victory in Hong Kong A True Victory of Democracy? proviene da InsideOver.

Hong Kong is officially in a recession, according to third-quarter results released Thursday. It contracted 3.2 per cent from July to September, a stark contrast to the 0.5-per cent downturn in the previous three-month period. On a larger scale, the recession contacts with a 2.9-per cent decline in the third quarter as the recession, the first in a decade for the city, appears to have no end in sight. 

No Optimism

“Frankly, there is no room for optimism,” said Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam. The government will release its updated GDP projection next month.

Protests, now in their fifth month, are the root cause of the trading epicentre’s economic woes. Exports, impacted by both the protests and US-China trade war, spiralled downward seven per cent over last year, which was the largest downturn in a decade.

“Much of the pressure is now coming from the political unrest. The trade war itself would cause Hong Kong’s GDP growth to slow but not a contraction, while the political unrest could,” said Tommy Wu, a Hong Kong-based economist at Oxford Economics.

The tourism industry has endured a large portion of the damage with hotels, which were routinely full, at only two-thirds capacity. At one point, flights were suspended at the international airport, complicating travel arrangements. The retail industry has also seen reduced spending and even store closures due to the civil unrest. Some stores have closed early or completely closed shop in the wake of citywide demonstrations. In a few cases, activists have vandalized storefronts, banks, and restaurants.

Lam’s government has taken measures in an attempt to safeguard the economy, but those have proved inadequate at preventing longterm damage. Two rounds of stimulus packages and subsidies at $255 million unveiled in August and $2.4 billion announced last week to aid small companies and workers. Last week, Financial Secretary Paul Chan revealed further economic measures, including rent reductions at buildings leased by the government and transportation subsidies for taxi companies and ferries. Li Ka-shing, the city’s richest man, even pledged $128 million to businesses affected by the protests, declaring the economy “is facing unprecedented challenges.”

Longterm Hope

Even amid the economic turmoil, Lam sees the potential for a bright, longterm future for the economy through partnerships with mainland China. 

“Hong Kong is playing an active part in our country’s two far-reaching initiatives, the Guangdong – Hong Kong – Macau Greater Bay Area, and the Belt and Road,” she told those gathered at the Asia House Future of Trade Conference. She gave went on to give the opening speech at the 2nd China International Import Expo Thursday.

Hong Kong is represented at the event, lasting until Tuesday, by 200 companies and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The Bay Area project is designed to turn the region into a Silicon Valley rival by 2035. The area was predominantly agriculturally-focused since 1980, but grew in technology and financial sectors as the most populous urban area in China.

Civil unrest continues to overshadow these projects, however. None of the initiatives will find strong footholds in Hong Kong until protests abate, which shows no sign of happening anytime soon. For Lam, the answer to satisfying protestors begins with them stopping their demonstrations and economic disruption.

“Once calmness returns, we are committed to finding solutions to some of those deep-seated problems revealed by the extensive protests over the past [five] months,” Lam said. “We will not rest, I will not rest until we have found a peaceful, harmonious, and inclusive path for Hong Kong.”

Despite continued public demonstrations and local economic downturn, the stock markets are holding up, minor blips notwithstanding. The Hang Song Index is up four per cent year-over-year and investment money continues to pour in. Anheuser-Busch InBev opened its IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, drawing $5 billion, which was the second-largest of 2019 next to Uber. It drove the stock market to third-largest in terms of money raised for the year.

Hot Seat

The stock market is only one indicator of the economy, however, and the average Hong Konger is likely to continue to feel the microeconomic effects of protests even as it holds relatively steady. Lam’s position is a precarious one as she must answer to the mainland Chinese government and both are in the international spotlight. While she agreed to withdraw the extradition bill and promised it would not return, that satisfied only one of the five demands by protestors. Even if Lam wanted to give in to all the conditions, she has her hands tied by Beijing.

Even so, the task falls upon her shoulders to quell the demonstrations. Beijing cannot roll in with tanks as it did during the Tiananmen Square massacre because of the modern spread of information. While the international community is not standing with Uighur Muslims imprisoned in concentration camps, while those atrocities committed by Beijing are not enough to be the final straw, a military suppression of Hong Kong likely would be enough as it would have economic ramifications.

L'articolo Hong Kong in a Recession but Stock Market Holds Steady proviene da InsideOver.

Massive demonstrations have hit several countries across the globe in recent months. The prolonged protest against the controversial extradition bill (which was later annulled) in Hong Kong may have inspired the global discontent on governments. Global protests can as a result of several triggers. Below are some of the root causes:

Problematic bills

Hong Kong, one of the world’s leading economic hubs, has been plagued by a series of protests against the controversial extradition bill since June 9. The much-debated draft would allow the extradition of prisoners to some countries, including China.

Pro-democracy activists fear that Beijing will abuse the bill if enacted into a law-to silence its opponents. China had backed the extradition draft, aimed at ensuring Hong Kong will no longer be a criminals’ haven.

The idea of having an extradition bill in the former British colony started when a Hong Kong citizen named Chan Tong-kai admitted that he had killed his pregnant girlfriend whilst visiting Taiwan. As Hong Kong and Taiwan do not have an extradition treaty, Chan could not face trial in Taiwan. He was then sent to jail in Hong Kong, charged with money laundering instead of murder.

Hong Kong has enjoyed more freedom of expression than the mainland. Under the repatriation treaty with Britain, Hong Kong will retain its social and judicial system for the next 50 years.

Last month, Hong Kong Executive Leader Carrie Lam officially withdrew the bill. However, Lam’s decision did not satisfy demonstrators, who considered it too late. Hundreds of protesters and police officers were injured during the demonstrations.

Similar protests also took place in Indonesia mid-September. University students across the archipelago protested against the controversial bill on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) which potentially curtails the power of the anti-corruption commission.

Students and activists also opposed the bill on criminal law (RUUKUHP) which contains articles that can threaten freedom of expression and grant a lighter sentence to graft convicts. Two students in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi were killed in the demonstrations.

A few days after the inauguration of Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, university students took to the street again, demanding the incumbent leader issues a regulation in place of law (Perppu) to retract the already-passed KPK law.

Economy and Inequality Problems

Mass rallies erupted in Iraq in early October, raising the oil-rich country’s main problems ranging from high unemployment to poor public services.

The death toll hit almost 100 on the fifth day of protest (October 6), triggering condemnation from the United Nations (UN) and the country’s rights commission. In the first few days of October, around 157 were killed, as shown by recent government data.

“We deeply regret the number, the large number of people that have been killed in these circumstances,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. 

Despite being the OPEC’s second-biggest oil producer, poverty is still the country’s main problem. The World Bank data showed that one of five Iraqis lives in poverty and youth unemployment stands at 25 per cent.

Corruption is still rampant in Iraq. The Transparency International said that Iraq ranked the 12th world’s most corrupt nation.

Chile has seen the largest rally since the end of the military rule under General Augusto Pinochet in 1990. The country’s massive rally was triggered by a price rise in subway fare.

As of October 24, around 200 had been injured, 15 had died and hundreds had been imprisoned. Despite being the world’s largest copper producer (the peak was 2000-2014 before the growth was stagnant), inequality remains high. According to the OECD, the country’s income gap stood at 65 per cent of the organization’s average figure.

President Sebastian Pinera finally suspended the subway fare hike and reshuffled the cabinet. He also promised to raise pension funds and slash the prices of medicine for the poor.

Ecuadoreans from all walks of life (from students, workers, and indigenous groups) took to the street to protest the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed austerity program which cut the four-decade-long fuel subsidy. Demonstrations paralyzed schools and Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno had to relocate the center of the government from Quito to Guayaquil.

Moreno later cancelled the subsidy cuts, meaning the price of fuel would return to normal. The financial crisis also forced the Lebanese government to impose a tax on chat applications such as Whatsapp and Skype. The policy triggered nationwide opposition. The government later rolled back the tax plan on communication applications. After two weeks of protests, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri resigned from his post-Tuesday (October 29).

Lebanon is suffering from the crisis as its debt reaches $ 86 billion, more than150 per cent of its GDP, the country’s ministry of finance revealed

Climate issue

Greta Thunberg a 16-year-old Swedish student has inspired students to take part in the protest against global warming since she sat in front of the Swedish parliament building a year ago. The girl also gained worldwide attention for her “How dare you?” speech at the UN General Assembly last August, expressing her anger at the world’s leaders.

Students around the globe took part ahead of the high-level debate on climate change at the UNGA. World leaders showed mixed reactions. Some praise youth movement but others criticize those students from skipping classes to voice issues they do not understand. The Australian police arrested more than 40 protesters outside the international mining conference in Melbourne. They blocked the conference’s delegates from entering the venue.

Green activists accused the mining industry of chasing the profit by evicting indigenous communities. Around 700 delegates from 100 countries attended the conference to discuss challenges faced by the mining industry.

Separatism

The independence of the Spanish autonomous region Catalonia has become a live issue again since the global financial crisis in 2008 following the week-long protest in Barcelona.

Protests erupted on October 14 following the imprisonment of nine separatist leaders for their role in the independence bid. Last Saturday (October 26), the pro-independence rally turned violent when demonstrators threw bottles, stones, and balls to anti-riot police officers.

Police then retaliated by firing rubber bullets. At least six were injured during the clash, Reuters reported. Pro-independence activists held an illegal referendum in October 2017. Madrid tried to block it then send separatist leaders to jail.

Those demonstrations forced the classic match between Barcelona and their archrival Real Madrid to be postponed to December.

Catalonia has its different language and culture and is one of Spain’s wealthiest regions. The region contributed 19 per cent of Spain’s GDP in 2016.

Election results

 Riots broke out in Bolivia after the government postponed the vote counting of the election held on Sunday (October 20). The preliminary result showed that the incumbent socialist leader Evo Morales won 47.08 per cent of the vote while his contender Carlos Mesa earned 35.51 per cent.

Opposition groups accused the Morales regime of rigging the election. They are demanding re-election.

Political deadlock

 The United Kingdom (UK) is facing a political crisis following the uncertainty over the departure of Britain from the European Union (EU), known as Brexit. Last weekend, tens of thousands of Britons gathered in London to raise their concern over Brexit. The UK  is scheduled to leave the 28-country bloc on October 31. However, the plan could be delayed to avoid Brexit without an agreement.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly stated that the UK would leave the EU on scheduled whatever happens. However, he is required to propose an extension as the Parliament failed to reach an agreement on Brexit.

L'articolo What Triggers Global Protests? proviene da InsideOver.

Hong Kong’s government showed its first signs of cracking on Tuesday when Chief Executive Carrie Lam withdrew the controversial extradition bill. Yet even though she removed the legislation which sparked several months of protests, the action is unlikely to quell the opposition which had previously adopted a list of five demands. 

Blinking

Now in its fourteenth week, protests have grown increasingly violent. Aside from a widely-reported incident at the Hong Kong airport where a group of protestors attacked a man whom they accused of being an undercover policeman, activists have been mostly peaceful. Hong Kong law enforcement, however, has gradually increased the severity of methods designed to suppress the protests. 

Even so, neither side has blinked until Tuesday when Lam made the announced the recension of the bill in television broadcast. 

“The government will formally withdraw the bill to fully allay public concerns,” Lam declared. “Lingering violence is damaging the very foundations of our society, especially the rule of law.”

Furthermore, Lam said she would add two more representatives to a council tasked with investigating complaints against law enforcement personnel. The oversight group is not new: it was created 20 years ago, which raises questions about why calls for investigations of police brutality have gone unanswered until Tuesday. Hong Kong police have on several occasions been recorded on video preventing emergency medical responders from reaching injured protestors, attempted to gouge an activist’s eyes, and raided a subway car, bludgeoning its occupants without mercy.

While her willingness to have the council look into these acts in addition to the tear-gassing, paint-marking, and arresting of peaceful demonstrators may seem like another concession to the five demands, it is not being viewed as such. Critically, the governing council has long been accused of bias because it is not an independent body and as seen during Lam’s televised statement, her administration has the power to choose its members. She continues to deny the right to a third-party investigation.

Lam also vowed to reach out to “people from all walks of life” while engaging the citizens of Hong Kong in civil discourse, but it is unknown how much she could gain from such talks given the firm stance of the protestors. While many international observers predicted a Beijing-led military suppression on the horizon, few believed Lam would be the first to relent. 

Unstoppable Force? 

The ancient unstoppable force paradox originated in the ancient philosophical book Han Feizi written by Chinese author Han Fei. Fei was the first to pose the question, “What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?” He termed the paradox ‘矛盾,’ pronounced as ‘máodùn’ which translates to “contradiction” or ‘spear-shield.’

It is fitting that such an enigma came from China as it perfectly encapsulates the present ordeal. For the entire summer, the protestors have essentially been spears, unstoppable forces against the government shield or immovable object. Even though Lam conceded the primary demand to remove the extradition bill in its entirety, it will not stop the immovable force nor will her government agree to the full list of requirements.

In addition to the removal of the bill, protestors call for a government order to prohibit the labelling of protests as ‘riots,’ an independent inquiry into police actions, the complete release and amnesty for arrested protestors, and democratic elections. Hong Kong citizens are unlikely to ever gain more electoral rights, especially with the city destined to return to Beijing-rule in a few decades. 

“The damage has been done. The scars and wounds are still bleeding,” said Claudia Mo a pro-democracy legislator. “She thinks she can use a garden hose to put out a hill fire. That’s not going to be acceptable.”

Another Hong Kong legislator, Eddie Chu, also supported the continuation of protests declaring, “We will change our slogan to ‘Four key demands, we will accept nothing less.’” 

Fake Sincerity?

There are concerns among some activists that if they accept Lam’s offer, her government will fiercely roll-back civil liberties as soon as protestors return to their homes. 

“Whenever there are signs of sending a palm branch, they always come with a far tighter grip on exercising civil rights,” said Joshua Wong, a student protestor. “They have conceded nothing in fact, and a full-scale clampdown is on the way.”

Lam surprised many when she agreed to the principle demand of removing the extradition bill in its entirety, pledging to never to revive it. Unfortunately for the Hong Kong and Beijing governments, the time for this concession passed long ago. Protestors now feel part of something larger than themselves, and possibly larger than the government itself. They have not grown weary, only more steadfast in their resolve. 

L'articolo Carrie Lam removes extradition bill, but why won’t protestors stop? proviene da InsideOver.

Students from universities and schools in Hong Kong are to take part in a class boycott in September, following weeks of protests in the city against the Government’s planned extradition bill. The boycott follows the news that prominent pro-democracy campaigners including Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow were arrested on Friday 30 August in what appears to be a government crackdown.

Reports suggest that up to 10,000 students from around 200 schools could boycott classes at the beginning of next week. 10 universities are also due to take part in the walk outs, set to commence on September 2. A joint statement released on Friday from Secondary School Student Organizations and Students’ Unions of Higher Institutions outlined the motives behind the boycott:

“How is it possible, when the Government brutally tears Hong Kong apart and turns every street and district into battlefields, for us to sit down at our desks in school like nothing happened?”

“We call for the participation of all secondary school students and students of higher institutions in the upcoming class boycott starting on 2 September. Hong Kong is no longer what it was; students will not be willing to be the puppets of the Government that go to school every day as if nothing happened.”

The statement was released hours after prominent pro-democracy campaigners and members of the ‘Demosisto’ group Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow were both arrested and charged with inciting unlawful assembly for demonstrations that took place in the city on 21 June. Both have since been released on bail at HK$10,000. The case has been adjourned until November.

Moreover, reports surfaced on Wednesday that Ivan Lam, Chairman of the Demosisto group and one of the principal organizers of the upcoming student walkouts, has been charged, but not arrested due to currently being outside of Hong Kong.

Independence campaigner Andy Chan was also detained on Thursday evening while attempting to board a flight to Japan, and Former HKU Student Union President Althea Suen has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to destroy or damage property and entering the precincts of Legislative Chamber, following the storming of the building on July 1. At the time, the move sparked a heavy counter-reaction from police authorities, with pepper spray and rubber bullets having been deployed against protestors since then. Following Friday’s arrests, a protest scheduled for Saturday which had been organised by the Civil Human Rights Front, has now been cancelled due to public safety concerns, according to police authorities.

Meanwhile, in a dramatic twist in tensions between Hong Kong and Beijing, reports have surfaced of talks between Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and the Chinese central government – in which Lam allegedly proposed that the controversial extradition bill be withdrawn in order to appease the protestors. Reuters reports that the Chinese central government refused to take Lam’s advice. On Friday, a Hong Kong Government spokesperson declined InsideOver’s request to confirm the reports.

The recent arrests involving specific individuals central to the pro-democracy cause in Hong Kong may give momentum to next week’s class boycotts, which will involve students skipping classes once a week to join rallies at schools over the city.

Young people in Hong Kong have become increasingly mobilized in political protests over recent years. In 2012, following a proposal by the Hong Kong government to introduce educational reforms that would bring the teaching curricula in the city closer to that of mainland China, a new group emerged – with Joshua Wong, Anges Chow and Ivan Lam all featuring with prominent roles in the group.

This collective, known as ‘Scholarism’ organized a series of demonstrations and managed to mobilize the student community in Hong Kong. The group managed to force the government to retract the reform plans and used the momentum to take them into the so- called ‘Umbrella revolution’ of 2014 – a series of uprisings against the Hong Kong government’s plans for electoral reform that would have seen Beijing vet potential Hong Kong leadership candidates.

This time around, protests have been ignited following the presentation of an extradition bill that would have given authorities in the city the right to deport suspected criminals from Hong Kong to China. However, opponents to the bill believe that the measures would have seen many pro-democracy campaigners exposed to the risk of facing deportation.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the EU’s Foreign Affairs Chief, Federica Mogherini condemned the recent developments in Hong Kong as “extremely worrying”.

“We expect the authorities in Hong Kong to respect the freedom of assembly, expression and association as well as the right of people to demonstrate peacefully,” Mogherini said, speaking after a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers in Helsinki.

“We will continue to pass messages publicly and privately and continue to work for the situation not to continue to go into the wrong direction but rather the opposite, to reverse to a more positive trend,” she added.

Joshua Wong has previously called for Europe to assist Hong Kong activists in their fight for democracy, as reports of police brutality become more and more commonplace. The European Parliament adopted a resolution in July that sought to put pressure on authorities in Hong Kong to desist from using force in the quelling of the demonstrations, as well as demand that an independent enquiry take place into the reports of police brutality.

L'articolo Children of Hong Kong to Boycott Class as Pro-Democracy Activists Arrested proviene da InsideOver.

As protests continue in Hong Kong, government officials and economists question the impact on the economy. For the city that was built on trade, and quickly became an epicenter for global markets, Hong Kong’s economy is already showing signs of strain due to political uncertainty. The protests against Chinese extradition legislation initially appeared successful, as the government suspended, though it became evident that the government would only postpone the measure while refining the policy before elections in November. Opposition has continued throughout the summer, and at times turned violent, as police and gangs allegedly hired by the Communist Party of China have beaten and gassed civilians.

Stock Market Lags

On the stock market, the Hang Seng Index lost 2.35 percent of its value at the close of last week, ending the week down 5.2 percent. The losses were the largest since May, before the protests began. The situation is further complicated by the US-China trade war that will not end anytime soon, as US President Donald Trump announced new tariffs taking affect September 1st. According to Bloomberg data, Hong Kong is performing lower than in previous years, shrinking by 0.3 percent from the previous quarter. While growth is still positive at 0.6 percent, retail sales and forecasts are both down considerably when contrasted with 2018.

“The trade war is hurting Hong Kong,” said Iris Pang, an economist for Hong Kong’s ING Bank. “At the same time, into the second half of 2019, we will have protests also damaging the Hong Kong economy through consumption and the job market. It means that we are doubly hit.”

A Second Umbrella?

In an attempt to explain the effect of protests, economists referenced the 2014 “Umbrella Movement.” Over a period of nearly three months, activists demanded greater election transparency and universal suffrage. They were unsuccessful, however, and authorities responded largely in the same manner as they have been in 2019, with occasionally brutal law enforcement tactics. As for the economic effect, there was widespread fear that the unrest would slow economic growth, but in reality, it met growth targets for the year. Still, there were undeniably smaller-scale repercussions such as businesses closing and transportation interruptions.

This year, the economic threat is real, and, while a large part of it is likely due to the trade war, there is a quantifiable effect that can be attributed to the protests. Tourism, which was a boon in the first few months of the year, slowed to half its growth rate in June while countries across the globe issued travel advisories. Even arrivals from mainland China ground to a halt and, as a result, the hotel industry saw its occupancy rates slide by 20 percent in June and likely further in July. According to one tour manager, two-thirds of his Chinese customers cancelled their trips.

Government Response

Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan detailed the economic ramifications in a blog post last week. In his post, he warned of an employment downturn which might see unemployment rise from its current two-decades low of 2.8 percent. To counteract the negative effects of the trade war and protests, Chan’s government will weigh options for boosting industries, which have been weakened, to sustain jobs.

“The recent controversy over the amendment of the extradition bill has provoked large-scale public processions and protests, along with a series of violent storming, affecting both large and small local traders. Many people working in the retail and catering sectors saw a notable drop in business,” Chan said. “Besides, these incidents have also undermined Hong Kong’s international image and business environment. To foreign enterprises and tourists, Hong Kong seems to have become unstable and unsafe, affecting their desire to travel, do business and invest in Hong Kong.”

Chan urged the people of Hong Kong to resist social division and violence in order to find solutions to the political problems. The future of the city is at stake and activists must take into account future generations and love for their communities.

Chan also referenced a multitude of economic indicators which predict a dark short-term future for Hong Kong’s economy. The International Monetary Fund’s revised forecast, a recent Hong Kong Productivity Council survey, and government data all display downward trends, confirming what many business owners already realized. For a city built on enterprise and trade, Hong Kong must stabilize its environment. While it can’t control the trade deal, the government does have the power to remedy the activism situation. Unfortunately, thus far its only solution has been heavy-fisted.

“No Optimism”

While parts of Chan’s message are rooted in positivity, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the head of the Hong Kong government, is having none of it. She recently told representatives from chambers of commerce that there is “no room for optimism for the second quarter and the entire year.”

For the protests, there is only one logical outcome and that is the government having its way. There are numerous historical examples to draw upon, such as the recent Umbrella Movement to the Tiananmen Square Protests. After each, the Chinese found a way to return to business as usual while gaining nothing from Hong Kong’s activism. It’s entirely likely that this time around will be the same. Unlike the Umbrella Movement, however, there are real economic consequences this year and until now, there does not seem to be a timely solution which would prevent more damage. Coupled with external factors such as the US-China trade war, a gloomy future lies in store for Hong Kong, a city that until recently, thrived off of business.

L'articolo Hong Kong Protests Take Economic Toll proviene da InsideOver.

Large scale anti-China protests have been occurring in Hong Kong for over a month now. What started as a demonstration against an extradition bill led to the storming of parliament, and has most recently manifested itself in Lennon Walls, a series of walls within the S.A.R covered in coloured notes with pro-democracy, pro-independence messages written on them.

It’s safe to assume that the sentiment of the Hong Kong population is generally anti-China. The behaviour of the police force, including excessive violence during the protests, has not helped matters. On top of this, Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong currently has a disapproval rate of 67%, according to University of Hong Kong’s Public Opinion Programme (HKUPOP). The fear amongst protestors, put simply, is that Hong Kong is going to become increasingly a part of Mainland China now, rather than in 2047, as agreed upon in the Sino-British Joint Declaration. China argues that the declaration is simply a historical document, and not legally binding, so they can treat Hong Kong as they wish, given that they see it as a part of their country.

Here’s where it gets difficult. The vast majority of Hong Kong does not want to become a part of China. A further study by HKUPOP shows that 52.9% of those living in Hong Kong identify as a ‘Hongkonger’, whereas only 10.8% identify as ‘Chinese’. 35.8% of people see themselves as being of ‘Mixed Identity’. The dichotomy between the societies of China and Hong Kong is extensive: Hong Kong runs on capitalism, whereas China is proudly communist.  Hong Kong speaks Cantonese where the Mainland speaks Mandarin. Hong Kong is a lot more ‘free’ by Western standards: China is known for its censorship. Hong Kong has free access to most things on the internet. Hongkongers have made it clear that they want to keep it this way.

So what is Mainland China to do?

At first, it seemed like the Mainland sought to quell objection with fire, with police cracking down hard on protestors. This did not dissuade them. Next came verbal reprimand. This did not do much either. Apology followed this, when Carrie Lam lamented her responsibility in causing “controversies, disputes and anxieties in society.” Hong Kong did not accept the apology.

Now, China is drafting an urgent plan to get back into Hong Kong’s good books. They have ruled out military force – it seems that lessons have been learnt from the violent clashes between police and protestors that drew international controversy in early June. The Mainland seems eager to keep matters under control of the Hong Kong government, rather than that of the PRC, allegedly telling Lam that she needed to clean up “the mess she created.”

Beijing will, however, be presented with an immediate plan to quell the mass protests, as well as a longer-term strategy in the handling of the SAR, South China Morning Post have reported. This strategy could lead to an “overhaul of Beijing’s approach to managing the restless former British colony”.

A source for the newspaper also told them that the Mainland was surprised by both the scale and intensity of the series of protests in Hong Kong. China’s intelligence, the source said, had “failed to accurately gauge the public mood”.

Beijing is now determined that the instigators of the protests lie elsewhere, and that Hongkongers have been influenced by foreign agents who are attempting to destabilise the Mainland. They do not believe that it is an isolated incident.

Now, the main goal is to quash dissent in Hong Kong, attempting to minimise bloodshed and unrest, whilst also uniting the pro-establishment camp in both regions.

Whether this will happen is up in the air – with the way Hong Kong has responded to the Mainland previously, it seems that Beijing will have to work hard to get the SAR back on its side.

L'articolo China’s Urgent Plan to Calm Hong Kong proviene da InsideOver.

The recent extradition protests in Hong Kong ended in nothing short of an eruption. What started out as peaceful protests on June 9th escalated into something much more violent.

It all started out when Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, announced the push of the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019, which would enable Mainland China to prosecute those in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Hong Kong currently operates under the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, wherein it maintains its own economic and administrative systems separate to that of China.

The introduction of the Bill would mean that Hong Kong’s legal system would not be its own, rather that of China’s, meaning that the Special Administrative Region would lose a large portion of its own autonomy. This is incredibly important to Hong Kong residents, who identify as Hongkongers, rather than Chinese.

In addition to the loss of autonomy, Hong Kong currently has different laws and bans to China. Many political books that are banned in Mainland China are allowed to be published and sold in Hong Kong. Five staff members of Causeway Bay Books, one such Hong Kong based book store selling political books, disappeared in 2015, two of whom were last seen in the Mainland. Some see the extradition bill an extension of this, claiming it enables “legalised kidnapping” of those that China views as breaking the law.

Many are opposed to the bill for a variety of reasons. This was demonstrated when over a million people showed up to peacefully protest on June 9th. MTR stations were closed down to control the crowds, and police opened up roads after protesters climbed over metal barricades to reduce the overly cramped conditions that the crowd was packed into.

The night of June 9th saw a turn away from peace, when some protesters attempted to occupy streets overnight. The Hong Kong Government announced that the bill would still be read three nights later, despite the protests, leading to a stand-off between civilians and police force. Frustrated demonstrators threw bottles and metal barriers at police, who retaliated with batons and pepper spray. The stand-off ended around 3am, with many injured and 19 protesters arrested.

The protests resumed shortly after, coming to a head on June 12th, the day of the proposed reading of the bill. Some came in peace. Others came willing to do anything to be heard. One 20 year old protestor, who asked not to be named for fear of governmental retaliation, told InsideOver: “The youthful generation is desperate. We no longer trust the establishment. We believe that peaceful means are certainly futile, as the government has been targeting young political participants in various ways.”

The police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and smoke bombs at the protestors, a large portion of whom were under 25. The protestors armed themselves with umbrellas, face masks and goggles to protect themselves from the barrage. Sixty two people between the ages of 15 and 66 were injured in the violence, including two men who are said to be in critical condition.

Many are calling the reaction from police forces police brutality, as videos are circulating on the internet of unarmed individuals being wounded. One video shows a sole man being beaten with batons by a large group of policemen, while another shows an individual being blasted by a water cannon.

The Hong Kong government have labelled the protests as a “riot”, which is the first time the term has been used to describe demonstrations since the 1967 leftist riots. The reading of the extradition bill has been delayed, but BBC News reports that the government has not backed down.

Despite the chaos and uncertainty of the future, protesters are determined to continue in the fight against the bill. InsideOver is told: “We’ve lost patience and will strike back in whatever way we can. The government and those in power must pay the price of discarding the younger generation.”

L'articolo The Aftermath of the Hong Kong Protests: the Calm after the Storm? proviene da InsideOver.