eroding aspectsof the “BasicLaw”.Theyclaimed thatthe
legalsystemon themainland couldnotbe trustedto
provideeventhe basic standardsof judicialfairness.
Theprotests peakedin the lastweekof Juneandwent
outof controlon July1. Onthatday,a radicalfringe
consistingmainlyof studentswenton the rampageand
brokeintothepremisesof theHongKongLegislative
Assembly,knownas Legco.July1 is a public holiday
knownas “Establishment Day”in HongKong.It wasthe
dateon whichtheUnitedKingdomhandedoverthe
colonybackto China.Windowsweresmashed,rooms
wereransackedandanti-China graffitiwasplasteredon
the wallsof the Legislative Assembly.Theviolentdemon-
strators hungthe colony’sBritish-eracolonialflag after
painting overan emblemdisplayedprominently in the
AssemblychambersthatstatesthatHongKongis an
integral partof the People’s Republicof China.
Churchleaders, lawyers andstudentgroupshad
joined in the chorusagainstthe “extraditionBill”.Butthe
violencetriggeredby a sectionof the protestersandthe
storming of the Assemblyseemsto havecausedserious
apprehensionsin the ranks of the protesters. TheHong
Kongauthoritieshavegiventhe protestersa longrope,as
theyhavedonein thepast. Therehave beencomparat-
ivelyfew arrestsso far.Thereis a realisation amongthe
peoplethatHongKong’sstatusas a key global economic
hubcouldbe jeopardisedif theprotestsareallowedto
continue.WESTERNSUPPORT
TheHongKongstreetprotests,despitetakinga violent
turn, havebeensupported by key Westerngovernments.
U.S.Secretaryof StateMikePompeoalongwithhis
BritishandGermancounterparts openlycriticisedthe
“extraditionlaw”. Jeremy Hunt,the BritishForeignSec-
retary, warnedChinaof “serious consequences”if Beijing
breachedthe“legally bindingagreement” it hadsigned
withtheU.K.TheChineseForeign Ministryretaliated
immediately by accusingthe U.K.of continuing to havea
“colonialhangover”. It remindedtheU.K.ForeignSec-
retary thatChinahadimplementedall aspectsof the
agreementwiththe U.K.leading to the handoverof Hong
Kong.“I needto re-emphasisethatHongKonghasnow
returnedto its motherland,” theChinese government
spokespersonsaid.“Therightsandobligationsreturned
to theBritishsideunderthedeclarationhaveall been
implemented.TheU.K.at everyturnconsidersitselfa
guardian; it is a delusion.”
China’sambassadorto the U.K.,LiuXiaoming,was
moreforthrightin hiscriticism.HeaccusedHunt of
interferingin HongKong’saffairsandsupporting “viol-
ent demonstrators”. Liusaidthatthe U.K. should “show
respect” andkeepits handsoff “thesemi-autonomous
territory”.Hunt is in theracefor theleadership of the
ConservativeParty.Hisopponent is BorisJohnson.Both
of themhavestakedextremeright-wingpositionson
internationalissuesandharkbackto thegloriesof the
U.K.’s imperialage.
ChrisPatten,the lastBritishGovernorof HongKong,
wentto the extentof sayingthatBeijingwasrenegingon
its promise to the peopleof HongKongby introducinga
newextraditionBill.“It is a proposal, or a set of proposals
which strikes a blowagainstthe ruleof law,againstHong
Kong’sstabilityandsecurity,againstHongKong’sposi-
tionas a greatinternationaltradinghub,”Pattenclaimed
in a statement. Representativesof 11 European Union
nationsalsometwithCarrieLam,HongKong’sChief
Executive,to registertheirprotestson theproposed
changes.
CarrieLamhasbeen stressing all the whilethatthe
newBillwasbeing tabledwiththe solepurposeof plug-
ginga legal loopholethatis beingexploitedby criminals.
A recentincidentthatcauseda big outcryin HongKong
involveda HongKongresidentkillinghis pregnantgirl-THEprotests in 2014centred aroundthede-
mandsfor Western-styleelectionsand“trueuni-
versalsuffrage”.Theybroughtthe cityto a virtual
haltfor almosttwomonths.Theprotestershad
claimedat the timethatBeijinghadrenegedon
its commitmentto granttheresidentsof Hong
Kongopenelectionsby 2017. AftertheHong
KongSpecialAdministrativeRegion(SAR) was
returned to Chinese control in 1997,it hasbeen
governedunderthe“onecountry,twosystems”
model.Underthisframework, Beijingremains in
charge of defenceandforeignpolicy whileHong
Kongenjoyslimited self-governanceandcivil
liberties.Thejudiciaryin HongKonghasmain-
tainedits independence, andthemedia thereis
robust.
Beijingdidnotgivein to the demands of the
protestersfor the directelectionfor the officeof
the ChiefExecutive.If the demandhadbeencon-
ceded,eventhosedemanding a reframing of rela-
tionswithBeijingwouldhavebeenallowed to
run.Beijingagreedto the holdingof electionsby
2017 buton its ownterms. Onlytwooutof the
threecarefullyvetted“nation-loving”candidates
wouldbe allowedto runfor the top postof Chief
Executive.A 1,200-member ElectoralCommittee
representingcitizens,majorcorporations and
“functionalconstituencies”suchas labourorgan-
isations andteachers’unions chosethe ChiefEx-
ecutive of the SAR.
Beforethe handover in 1997,the Governorof
HongKong was directly appointed fromLondon.
HongKong residents are allowedto choosehalfof
therepresentativesto theLegislativeCouncil.
Manyof the legislatorselectedto the council are
so-calledpro-democracyactivistsandarenot
afraid to openlycriticise thegovernmentof
China.
JohnCherian2014 protests