Hong Kong, China, and The Silencing of Protestors


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Image result for hong kong protests
For over 13 weeks, massive protests have raged in the streets of Hong Kong. Demonstrators and police have clashed with shouts and riot shields, and the growing unrest between the people their government and China is close to boiling over.  The protestors, showing up in throngs of millions, demand two things from Hong Kong's government officials: one, that they cement their government into that of a democracy, a system that has hung in the balance since Britain released control of it in 1997; and two, that their government hold the past and present police officers who have used brutal force against the largely peaceful demonstrators.  These protests are occurring now because of the deal Britain made with China when they let go of Hong Kong, and that was that China would leave Hong Kong alone for at least 50 years.  China technically owns Hong Kong, but there are two governments and two peoples residing in the nation.  China, however, has started to tighten its grip on the city-state, and the inhabitants of Hong Kong do not appreciate that.  This led to the riots, and the riots led to "Chief Executive" of Hong Kong, Carrie Lamb, to impose emergency powers (which is a less-hostile term for martial law). 

 From my point of view, this is where the Media and free speech issues arise, as, according to Bloomberg journalist Shelly Banjo in her article “How Hong Kong Protests Could Lead to Internet Cut Off," these emergency powers Lamb has "covers 'the control and suppression of publications, writings, maps, plans, photographs, communications and means of communication.'"  In a sense, the leaders of Hong Kong could silence as many people as they wanted, which is a serious red flag when it comes to true democracy as I see it.  Overall, I think that Chief Executive Lamb faces an impossible task.  The right thing, from my perspective, would be to fully accept democracy as the governing system of Hong Kong and to discipline the police officers who have abused the citizens protesting for their rights.  But, doing so would invoke the wrath of the Chinese government, who does not have a very good history of tolerating people who stand up to them.  The other option would be to silence the people and try to forge her own path.  This, I believe, would lead to increased anger and distrust from her citizens, and would also start a slippery slope of conforming to the Chinese communist way of government.  Carrie Lamb is stuck in a very tight space in which to find a true solution, and the walls are slowly closing in.


Article by Shelly Banjo:  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-30/how-hong-kong-protests-could-lead-to-internet-cut-off-quicktake   
   

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