Hong Kong: An Explainer

Many of us have heard about the protests in Hong Kong, but there has been a lot of contrasting and confusing media coverage on them, making it difficult to follow what is happening, and why. This article offers a breakdown of what has been going down at the protests, exactly what the protestors are demanding, and the wider social context of these demands.

In June of this year, The Hong Kong government introduced a bill enabling China to extradite alleged criminals to be tried in Chinese courts, by the Chinese judicial system. This announcement immediately sparked massive protests in Hong Kong, which made world news. This was due to the size of the protests (within a week 2 million protestors were on the streets, in a city of 7 million), the extremities that protestors have been willing to go to and the police response to these events.

To understand the events currently occurring in Hong Kong, and where they may lead, one must first understand the history of Hong Kong’s relationship with China. In 1997, Britain formally passed its ownership of Hong Kong to China, with a plan to, over a 50-year period, ease Hong Kong into being a part of the Chinese mainland. The idea was that in these 50 years Hong Kong, under Chinese leadership, would become its own separate democracy with its own governing body. The hope was that in 2047, when Hong Kong becomes 100% owned by China, that the Chinese government would allow Hong Kong to continue as its own democracy. In 2014, China announced that Hong Kong would not have universal suffrage, meaning that only a select group of Hong Kong citizens could vote for their leader. This sparked the Umbrella Movement, which had some protestors camped out for the full duration of the protests, which lasted for 3 months. The government made no compromises and the movement lost momentum until exhausted protestors had no choice but to back down.

In June however, when the extradition bill was announced, protestors were determined to build a movement with stamina. Protests mainly occur on the weekends, with protestors claiming and often vandalising a part of the city, whether that be a government building, a pro-china corporation or a shopping centre. When the police show up, ‘like water,’ they flow away and cover their identities by changing clothes, removing masks and even applying make-up.

The police reaction to this new strategy has sparked outrage amongst the protestors and international media, with police brutally arresting, teargassing, and firing rubber bullets and water cannons at them. The protestors have responded with violence themselves, using road-signs, barricades and other easily accessible items as battering rams, and even throwing bricks and Molotov cocktails at police.

The Extradition Bill has been withdrawn, but protestors aren’t satisfied. This addresses only 1 of their 5 demands:

1. The extradition bill be withdrawn.

2. The government conduct an enquiry into police behaviour.

3. Protestors who have already been arrested be given amnesty.

4. Protests not be legally classified as riots.

5. Universal suffrage in Hong Kong.

​The Government are not budging on their position, and nor are the protestors, leaving many wondering where this fight will lead. Perhaps the fight will continue right up until 2047, when China has complete ownership of Hong Kong. Or maybe protestors will start to fall away and the movement will lose momentum. As protests escalate and fatalities increase, it seems likely that China will employ military force against protestors. In any case, we should all be keeping an eye on Hong Kong, because it sets a precedent about whether power lies in the hands of the state or the people in the 21st century.