Backdrop of Fierce Hong Kong Protests

Hong Kong is part of china but enjoys its own sovereignty and socio-economic system. The laws of China are not applicable to the denizens of Hong Kong, and they enjoy immense freedom of speech. Hong Kong was basically a British colony back in the 18th century, and the people had been governed by Britishers for a long time. In 1997, this region had been returned to China but on the stipulations of sovereignty and autonomy. According to stipulations, Hong Kong would remain an autonomous region until 2047, and in 2047, it would completely be merged in the federation of China, and the laws and everything of China would then also be applicable to the citizens of Hong Kong. But the people of this autonomous region are not happy with the strict surveillance laws of the Republic of China, and they raise their voices against the clauses which allow the merger of Hong Kong with China. They fear that China would suppress them, and their right to freely articulate themselves would be crushed. They are not exaggerating in their fears, given the clumsy human rights situation in China.

The majority of the things are being controlled by the Communist Party government, and you might be imprisoned or punished if you try to do protest against the Chines government. China also encroaches upon the freedom and independence of the people of Hong Kong by subtle tactics. The recent initiation of extradition bill is the continuation of the same muzzling, which China has been doing for many years.

Recent stormy protests in Hong Kong started when the legislative council of Hong Kong decided to pass an extradition bill, which would allow the citizens of Hong Kong to be extradited to China to face criminal investigation. Let's take a detailed look at how the recent event has unfolded.

Background of Extradition Bill

A few months ago, a couple from Hong Kong decided to spend their holidays in Taiwan. Both of them went into Taiwan and booked a room in a hotel there. They enjoyed a fascinating journey and captured memorable moments. They also visited historical places and observed the beauty of Taiwan. But a tragic incident happened when they were about to come back to Hong Kong. The boy killed his girlfriend due to some severe altercation. So when the boy returned back to Hong Kong, his girlfriend was not with him. On investigation by Hong Kong authorities, the boy revealed that he had killed his girlfriend in the hotel in Taiwan. So authorities in Hong Kong decided to persecute him, but they could not do so because the crime was not committed on Hong Kong soil. The crime was committed in Taiwan, and there was no law in Hong Kong, which could allow extraditing criminals to other countries where the crime was originally committed. Authorities then started working to devise a framework to extradite the citizens of Hong Kong to other countries and vice versa.

Keeping the shortcomings in the Hong Kong constitution in mind, the legislative council proposed a bill and included the countries to which the people could be extradited. But the real problem started when they also included China in the name of countries where the people could be extradited. This inclusion of the name of China sparked an uproar among the people of Hong Kong, and they started storming the streets. According to the leaders of the protesting parties, it was another attempt by China to subdue and suppress the people and to restrict the basic rights of free speech. Protesters claim that if the bill passes, it will be the last nail in the coffin of the freedom of Hong Kong as China would then be able to arrest anyone who opposes its policies. Protesters are determined not to compromise on freedom principles. They are also worried about the future of their generations. Millions of people are gathering in the main squares and streets of Hong Kong to oppose the extradition bill. The interesting thing is that the protests are also being observed outside Hong Kong, such as in Los Angeles, London, and New York.

China's Stance

China is saying that it has nothing to do with the bill and that the bill is proposed by the local members of the legislative council. China is also condemning the protests in harsh words and claiming that the leaders of the protests just want to create chaos in tranquil Hong Kong.

Independent Opinion

Independent analysts and experts are not convinced with the stance of China. Analysts argue that the majority of the members of the legislative council of Hong Kong are businessmen, and these businessmen have vested and personal interests with China. So they have proposed this bill on the behest of the Chinese ruling party and that China has already tightened the noose around Hong Kong.

Now its time for the legislative council of Hong Kong to introspect and not to do those things which are being perceived as harmful by indigenous citizens. We hope that better sense would prevail among the ruling cadres of Hong Kong.