It was to be expected. Barely 48 hours after the announcement by Beijing of a law on security, which, in fact, calls into question the autonomy of hong Kong, the streets of the territory, semi-independent again-filled world. This Sunday, thousands of protesters gathered in the centre of hong Kong in spite of the prohibition of any gathering and the grouping of more than eight people in the context of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus.
The protesters oppose a proposed law disclosed by the prime minister, Li Keqiang, on Friday in front of the Parliament in Beijing. It provides that the central government can apply a law of “national security”, which aims “to prohibit treason, secession, sedition and subversion” by bypassing the legislative Council in local. Beijing could thus conduct its own investigations on the territory, and its security agents. According to the mini-Constitution of hong Kong, the local government was responsible up to now of its own internal security, and thus to ensure a fair trial to its citizens.
This text, the broad outlines of which have been disclosed as of Thursday evening, sounds de facto the end of the special status of the territory negotiated by the United Kingdom during the handover in 1997, and who had to remain in place until 2047. It is a direct response to Beijing to months of violent protests that have shaken hong Kong the whole of last year.
120 arrests
“This is the beginning of the end. We do not have a lot of time it is for this reason that we are here, even if there is the epidemic of the Covid-19”, said the activist Joshua Wong before the event. “Independence of hong Kong”, “let us Fight for freedom”, or even “The Revolution for a renaissance of hong Kong”, were some of the slogans chanted in the streets of the city this Sunday. The conflict with the police was also to be expected. Some protesters threw projectiles at the security forces, erected barricades, and used umbrellas to protect against tear gas. The police announced 120 arrests.
It had been several weeks already that the relations in hong Kong were strained between the camp pro-Beijing, which justified interference in China’s internal affairs, and those who wanted to maintain their independence. Mid-April, several activists and political figures had already been arrested and, last Monday, the local Parliament had been the scene of altercations particularly violent between members of the two camps.
Beijing reacted immediately to the events of this Sunday, by the voice of its minister of foreign Affairs, Wang Yi, who said that the new law, passed in a week, will be applied “without any delay”. “The violent acts and terrorism continue to mount and the foreign forces are deeply and illegally ingested in the affairs of hong Kong”, he said during a press conference at the people’s Palace, seat of the chinese Parliament in Beijing.
The editorial team conseilleHongkong: police is firing tear gas on the protesters pro-démocratieSujetsAsieChineHongkongmanifestationdémocratie9 commentairesAlain VERSACIle 24/05/2020 19:56
In my youth I read a book :
Alain Peyrefitte : “when China awakes, the world will tremble.” !
It is like that of writers, seers and forecasters dealing with the crazy of their living……Zemmour
Houellebecq, Onfray, among other
EugénieEtcheverryle 24/05/2020 19:48
article 23 of the basic Law of the special administrative Region of Hong Kong (1997)states that Hong Kong will adopt laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central people’s Government, or theft of State secrets, to ban organizations or political organizations foreigners to conduct political activities in the Region, and to prohibit organizations or political organizations of the Region to establish links with organizations or political organizations foreigners. Hong Kong has not created any laws required by article 23. Each time that his government has tried to implement, even partially, of such laws, in 2003, 2014 and 2019, protests and riots on a large scale in the streets of Hong Kong have been prevented.
P B 3 24/05/2020 19:46
We can see what is worth the word of a communist government when it is in a position of strength. Autonomy promised for mid-50s until 2047, fallen even before the half of the duration is reached. What will our governments donors of lessons in the whole world ?
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