Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday to protest against the jailing of three young democracy activists, with many questioning the independence of the Chinese-ruled city’s judiciary. “This shows that the Hong Kong government, the Chinese Communist regime and the Department of Justice’s conspiracy to deter Hong Kong people from continuing to participate in politics and to protest using harsh laws and punishments has completely failed,” Shum said. Thousands raise umbrellas during a rally to support young activists Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow in downtown Hong Kong on August 20, 2017. But Beijing has ultimate control and some Hong Kong people are concerned it is increasingly interfering to head off dissent. While the imposition of tougher sentences on the activists attracted widespread criticism in Hong Kong and overseas, the Hong Kong Bar Association and Law Society defended the court’s decision.

Source: Hindustan Times August 20, 2017 17:03 UTC