Written by Sophia Lui
Hong Kong protester Chu Kai-pong’s shirt reads: “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.” This seemingly innocent gesture gave Chu a 14-month sentence in September of this year. The punishment was meant to send a clear message to Hong Kongers — China will not tolerate acts of rebellion. It has been five years since the infamous 2019 protests when thousands of protesters took to the streets. Their goal was to halt Article 23, which would allow the government to imprison suspects for 16 days and have closed-door trials. Article 23 is just a hint of what 2047 could look like for Hong Kong’s government control.
Hong Kong is a “special administrative region of China” with a complicated history. It was taken by Britain from China in the First Opium War in 1842, and ceded when China signed the Convention of Chuenpi. For the next 150 years, Hong Kong would remain under British control. In 1997, Britain handed over its colony to China under “one country, two systems” for the next 50 years or until 2047. The people of Hong Kong were granted freedom except in foreign or defense events with their elections being fair and free. The exchange was peaceful except for a protest in HK by a few thousand people.
Protests have long been a way for Hong Kong citizens to express their dissent. In 2003, 500,000 citizens protested against the proposal of Article 23. The government backed down, but the bill was suggested again in 2019, resulting in further protests. After more than 1 million people marched to protest Article 23 again, the government halted the bill. The protesters, however, demanded more independence this time, stating that Hong Kong should be entirely separated from China. Both sides took extreme measures, but not everything was black and white; many Hong Kongers remained conflicted in their loyalties and unsure of their stance.
However, everything came to a standstill during the pandemic. With COVID-19, strict quarantine measures were taken and masks were enforced. The protests ground to a halt as the fear of getting infected spread, especially since no one knew how deadly COVID-19 was, yet. The virus was an opportunity for China to prevent protests and arrest protesters with the confusion and strict quarantine measures.
From the arrests to the censorship, the fear of China taking over Hong Kong has led to many foreign companies fleeing. After reaching out to a citizen who has lived in Hong Kong about changes since 2019, she talked about how Hong Kong has helped many Chinese students escape “to Canada, US or somewhere else” after Tiananmen Square. To memorialize and remember the event, “every June 4th, [they] have a candlelight memorial in Victoria Park. After 2019, [they] cannot do it. Even though [the people of Hong Kong] want to do something to remember it, all the people [were] put in jail.” By taking away the commemoration events, China is succeeding in slowly wiping away all traces of the censored tragedy. Especially with the closing of Apple Daily, one of the most popular newspapers in Hong Kong, China’s grip on the media is tightening.
Chinese control is evident in Hong Kong with a new security law that allows Beijing to interpret the law and closed-door trials. If someone is suspected of a crime, they are tried by “judges and juries who have been forced to do what the government wants” says a Hong Kong citizen. In addition, these laws apply to non-permanent residents and people from outside Hong Kong.
Hong Kong will most likely have limited freedom until 2047 which will cause an economic dip as investors grow wary of China’s influence. On the other hand, as Hong Kong becomes more integrated with China, and trade increases between the two, the economy could prosper. If Hong Kong citizens attempt to protest China’s legislation again, they will probably be met with harsher punishments and be sent to prison in China. Hong Kong, however, under China’s control does not mean the future is for the better or the worse — uniting with China can bring prosperity and stability, although it comes at the cost of already limited rights. At this stage of the conflict, only time will tell what is held for the future of Hong Kong. After all, we’ve seen what change can happen in just five years.
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