Studio Practice: (SB2) CONCEPTUAL RESEARCH

HONG KONG'S ANTI-EXTRADITION PROTEST

The situation right now in Hong Kong is worse than you can ever imagined. I have been looking at news and keeping in track of what is happening in Hong Kong. Seeing my hometown being destroyed by its own people is just so depressing and wrathful.

BACKGROUND

The Extradition Bill

The bill will path a way for unjust and dubious treatment of people in Hong Kong. Anyone can be arrested and brought to trial by the Chinese government. Unlike the Basic Law and the still-standing judiciary in Hong Kong, the Chinese judicial system lacks independence and recognition of human rights. The arrested are under no protection and could be subject to unfair trial and mistreatment under China’s judicial system.

Article from BBC

The extradition bill which triggered the first protest was introduced in April. It would have allowed for criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China under certain circumstances.

Opponents said this risked exposing Hong Kongers to unfair trials and violent treatment. They also argued the bill would give China greater influence over Hong Kong and could be used to target activists and journalists.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. After weeks of protests, leader Carrie Lam eventually said the bill would be suspended indefinitely.

How did the protests escalate?

Protesters feared the bill could be revived, so demonstrations continued, calling for it to be withdrawn completely.

By then clashes between police and protesters had become more frequent and violent.

In July, protesters stormed parliament, defacing parts of it. In August, one protester was injured in the eye, leading to demonstrators wearing red-coloured eye patches to show their solidarity.

Protest action at Hong Kong international airport in August also saw renewed clashes and led to hundreds of flights being cancelled.

In September, the bill was finally withdrawn, but protesters said this was "too little, too late".

Demonstrations continued, marked by an increasing level of violence.

On 1 October, while China was celebrating 70 years of Communist Party rule, Hong Kong experienced one of its most "violent and chaotic days".

An 18-year-old was shot in the chest with a live bullet as protesters fought officers with poles, petrol bombs and other projectiles.

The government in response banned protesters wearing face masks - a ban that many activists continue to defy.

In early November, a pro-Beijing lawmaker was stabbed in the street by a man pretending to be a supporter.

One week later, a policeman shot one protester at close range when activists were trying to set up a road block and later that day another man was set on fire by anti-government protesters. Both had to be treated in hospital.

What do the protesters want?

Some protesters have adopted the motto: "Five demands, not one less!" These are:

For the protests not to be characterised as a "riot"
Amnesty for arrested protesters
An independent inquiry into alleged police brutality
Implementation of complete universal suffrage

The fifth demand, the withdrawal of the bill, has already been met.

Some also want the resignation of Carrie Lam, whom they view as Beijing's puppet.

Protests supporting the Hong Kong movement have spread across the globe, with rallies taking place in the UK, France, US, Canada and Australia.

In many cases, people supporting the demonstrators were confronted by pro-Beijing rallies.

Chinese president Xi Jinping has warned against separatism, saying any attempt to divide China would end in "bodies smashed and bones ground to powder".

What is Hong Kong's status?

Hong Kong is a former British colony handed back to China in 1997.

It has its own judiciary and a separate legal system from mainland China. Those rights include freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.

But those freedoms - the Basic Law - expire in 2047 and it is not clear what Hong's status will then be.

BEFORE AND AFTER
BEFORE AND AFTER DEMONSTRATIONS AND STRIKES