While America was watching fireworks hit the sky on New Year’s Day, almost 400 protestors were being arrested in Hong Kong.
This uproar, which has been ongoing for the past year, is in direct response to a bill brought forth by the Hong Kong government. This bill would allow the extraditions of fugitives to mainland China.
Due to the lack of transparency in China’s legal system, the protesters and other critics of the bill had expressed concerns that Beijing could use the bill to prosecute people for political reasons.
As the protests have progressed, the dissidents had developed five main demands:
1. Fully withdraw the extradition bill.
2. Set up an independent inquiry into the alleged police brutality occurring during the protests.
3. Withdraw previous characterizations of protests as “riots.”
4. Release those arrested at the protests.
5. Implement universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
While the bill was suspended in June 2019 by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the other four issues are still demanding redress.
In June 2019, Amnesty International reported 14 incidents of excessive use of force by the Hong Kong police.
“The use of force during the protest violated international human rights law and standards,” the Amnesty International report said.
Furthermore, video and photo evidence has shown that the Hong Kong police are freely and liberally using tear gas as a deterrent – a method contrary to what the Hong Kong Police Tactical Unit (PTU) training manual suggests
“(Tear gas) not only affects the target (but) can also spread to nearby and even relatively far-off places and people,” according to the PTU training manual.
The manual goes on to say, tear gas becomes deadlier in business districts and densely populated areas, because it can contaminate the central air conditioning systems in office buildings as well as the subway ventilation fans.
The only inquiries into this abuse have been by the Independent Police Complaints Council, run by the Hong Kong Police Force. This is counteractive, as results published will always be in the best interest of the police department. An independent inquiry by a party that does not rely on police cooperation is key to reveal the truth of the misconduct.
More than 1,000 of the 7,000 arrested protestors have been charged – 12 of those receiving sentences. The charges include rioting, arson and possession of weapons. Amnesty is crucial, because rioting is one of the most serious charges, where an individual can face up to 10 years in prison.
Implementing universal suffrage in Hong Kong is a crucial step toward
a transparent, fair and permeable government. The current process for electing the chief executive is dominated by pro-establishment people and/or members of special-interest groups.
Together, these demands represent a long-standing call for full democracy — something Hong Kong lacks due to its exclusive, opaque process for electing leaders. The United States Congress has openly condemned the acts of Hong Kong police and shown support for the Free Hong Kong Pro-Democracy protests. To understand what exactly the people we elected are taking a stance on, the American public should further educate themselves on this complex, controversial issue.