Will Xi Jinping Crush the Historic Hong Kong Protests?

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In the last week, Hong Kong citizens determined to preserve freedom and autonomy have been emboldened – possibly setting an example for citizens on the Mainland and threatening the Chinese Communist Party’s grip on power.

Last Saturday, several hundred thousand people took to the streets to protest an extradition bill that would allow citizens, foreign residents and even tourists in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China.

On Wednesday, protests grew to an estimated 1 million people. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators.

On Saturday, an estimated 2 million joined the protests – the largest in Hong Kong history. Chief Executive Lam said the bill would be indefinitely suspended. When protesters continued to demand her resignation on Sunday, she apologized.

For months, Hong Kong’s government insisted nothing would stop the passage of the extradition bill. Many in Hong Kong view the extradition bill as a last stand for freedom against the PRC. Protestors have gone to great lengths to mask themselves from facial recognition software, avoided posting photos on social media, as they recognize there could be severe consequences for participating. Telegram, an app the protestors used to organize, was hacked by China to disrupt the effort this week, according to CEO Pavel Durov.

Hong Kong has been a semi-autonomous region of China since the British gave the city back in 1997 after 156 years of colonization. Beijing agreed to a “one country, two systems” rule, which meant that Hong Kong could maintain its capitalist markets, legislative system, and currency. Beijing also agreed to respect the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong until 2047.

The extradition law is the latest in a series of Beijing-backed policies that have eroded Hong Kong’s autonomy. Previously, reforms seen as encroaching on freedom have been met with peaceful protests. Since the Chief Executive and Legislative Council are chosen through indirect elections largely controlled by Beijing, protests have been the only way for citizens to make their voices heard.

According to Civilian Human Rights Front (CHRF), the organizers of the protests, demonstrations will not end until certain demands are met. The demands include complete withdrawal of the extradition bill, assurance that police will be held accountable for using excessive force, the release and acquittal of all arrested protestors, the retraction of the claim that Wednesday’s protest was a “riot”, and the resignation of Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Although Chinese censors are attempting to block news of the protests, which they claim to be the products of foreign meddling, Xi Jinping could be in a dangerous position. In 1989, a revolution in Poland was the first domino to fall in the Eastern bloc, eventually dissolving the USSR, a lesson Deng Xiaoping did not forget.

Right now, China is experiencing a food shortage crisis, a rapidly deteriorating economy made worse by the trade war with the US, and increased social unrest. In January, Xi gave a speech to

officials in Beijing, warning them of these economic and political risks and demanding stricter control of the internet. Xi has also increased indoctrination efforts, especially for young people.

Xi has been an unrelenting violator of human rights since taking power five years ago. In addition to strict censorship, the government has developed a massive surveillance platform to monitor citizens, imprisoned an estimated 1 million Uighurs in concentration camps, and implemented a social credit system to control the population.

Over the last week, government capitulation in Hong Kong has invigorated protestors and increased the turnout at demonstrations. Given the lengths Xi has gone to prevent dissent, it is unlikely he will see the emboldened protestors in Hong Kong as anything other than a threat to his regime. Unless the protests end abruptly on their own, the PRC is likely to brutally stamp them out. Thirty years ago, the United States failed to truly stand up for peaceful protestors in Tiananmen Square. President Trump should rectify that previous failure and advocate for those fighting for freedom.

 

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