In October 2019, I was in Hong Kong and walked with democracy protestors who marched in a disciplined manner, with loudspeakers playing the hauntingly beautiful melody, Glory to Hong Kong. They were protesting an extradition bill that Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam had introduced, which many feared would allow Hong Kong to send suspects to China, and whose power would be used against trade unionists and human rights activists in Hong Kong who monitored China from the territory. But that depends on time perceptions, as Jan Morris noted in her book Hong Kong: Epilogue of an Empire. Lam’s tenure has also seen regulatory overreach, as Hong Kong has sought to extend its national security law beyond island territory, seeking to restrain international websites (such as Hong Kong Watch) which are critical of Hong Kong’s politics. But Hong Kong seemed more content to follow the Chinese model of strict lockdowns, tight border controls and harsh quarantine rules.

Source: Mint April 07, 2022 03:42 UTC