the Boos, were backward spines and banners with the ”Hong kong is not China”. So usually it look at the supporterläktaren when Hong kong’s football team plays its home games at the Mong Kok stadium, China’s national anthem, which is played at every game, beginning to sound out of the speakers.
But soon, those who continue with this behavior end up in prison. On Wednesday, added the Hong kong government tabled a bill that punishes those who in any way offend the national anthem. Those who violate the law can be fined with 50,000 Hong kong dollars (57.500 euro), or risk up to three years in prison. The law is expected to go through, because a majority in the legislative assembly is China-friendly.
the law also includes that it should be mandatory for all children to learn ”The volunteers march”, the national anthem is called.
is said to be advocating patriotism. But many Hong kong people, especially the young, have no desire to show patriotism to China. They identify themselves not as chinese worry that China may be an increasingly greater influence over their lives.
– We have no sense of belonging to China at all, ” says a football fan to Reuters.
Critics see the new law as a further step in a development where China is increasing control over Hong kong. They believe that the law restricts freedom of expression, which is enshrined in Hong kong’s constitution, and forces the citizens to show loyalty to China.
Hong kong people to cover their faces with scarves when China’s national anthem played in the stadium, as a protest against China’s increased control over Hong kong. Photo: Bpbby Yip/Reters
long a concern for China to extend its power. The protests which have been on the fotbollsläktarna when the national anthem is played is in the same spirit as the mass demonstrations in Hong kong 2014. Then, in what came to be called paraplyrevolutionen, occupied the demonstrators in the streets of several months in the cry for greater democracy. Among other things, they demanded that all seats in Hong kong’s decision-making assembly elected by the people. Today, the citizens elect only half of the representatives, the rest is added by the different näringslivskommittéer.
the Protests failed. But under the surface continues a dissatisfaction bubble with developments since Hong kong was handed over from Britain to China in 1997. More and more doubt on the familiar promise of ”one country, two systems”, which China gave then. It included that Hong kong could keep its independent status and continue to decide a lot yourself. But with time, Hong kong citizens felt increasingly controlled by China, and critics fear that finansmeckat is about to be incorporated into China’s system.
Hongkongsupportrar demonstrating against the new bill to make a mockery of china’s national anthem a punishable offence. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP
Among other things, they point to another new law that changes in history teaching ” in schools. In the new textbooks, which will apply from 2020, for example, not events as the tiananmen square massacre. Moreover, the advocates of an independent Hong kong got more and more difficult to make their voices heard. Last year, it banned a party with the independence party.
