The violence that has been reported to us in the media in recent weeks has given rise to great concern around the world. It is not only the governments of Hong Kong and China that are concerned. International organizations are also paying great attention to the tense situation in Hong Kong.
As Hong Kong is a well-known and important international financial and trade center, the current chaotic situation is expected to have a number of negative effects on the lives of local residents and their economies.
Apparently, no one expected such a development.
Protests however, are nothing new in Hong Kong. There's a rich history of dissent in Hong Kong, stretching back further even than past 1997, when Britain returned Hong Kong after more than a century of colonial rule to the PRC.
- E.g. in 1966, demonstrations broke out after the Star Ferry Company decided to increase its fares. The protests escalated into riots. The British declared full curfew and sent hundreds of troops to the streets.
- In 2003 there were large protests, taking up to 500,000 people to the streets. In effect a controversial security bill was eventually scrapped.
- As a 3rd and final example in 2014 demonstrations, known as the umbrella movement, took place over several weeks and saw Hong Kongers demand the right to elect their own leader.
In addition, there were annual marches for universal suffrage - as well as memorials to the Tiananmen Square crackdown.
So, the fact that protests have now returned is not necessarily surprising.
But why have they grown so powerful this time? Why did the initially peaceful protests turn so violent finally? Why do they draw this immense worldwide attention?
Well, “On the surface, these protests are about plans that would allow extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China. But this is not all happening in a vacuum. There's a lot of important context - some of it stretching back decades.” writes the BBC, without elaborating on the whole context too much.
Of course one can view the protests, which turned to riots, as the genuine, though derailed expression of a concerned youth, fearing that the civil liberties, they enjoy and which are unbeknownst to the rest of Mainland China, may come to an untimely end – even before the 50 years of “one country, two systems” situation will terminate anyway in 2047.
On the other hand, geopolitical considerations may lead to the impression that there could be benefiters form the mere unrest, completely different from the directly involved parties. Not should we forget, that we witness of the beginning of a fierce and intensifying struggle for regional hegemony between China and the US. It would by far not be the first time that apparently spontaneous popular uprisings have been instigated, carefully nurtured and supported by covert actions of shady actors from the secret service world.
Likewise, the equally spontaneously and uncoordinatedly looking counteractions can be seen in the same dim light too, with differing probable forces in the background however.
Whatever explanation we might lean to, in this tense and highly competitive geopolitical situation both scenarios enjoy some credibility. Most probable a blend of both has to be taken into serious consideration. And it is this unpleasant reason, which makes the current situation so dangerous far beyond the local context.
We therefore would like to express its concerns on recent affairs in Hong Kong, combined with the hope that the heated sentiments can be soothed as soon as possible.
We maintain the hope and some confidence that the Hong Kong government will find a right path and take action in order to bring back peace to this busy metropole in the pearl river delta, as well as address the root causes of the current upheaval.
In our opinion the government should expand the scope of public consultation at different levels with no undue delay. This dialogue ought to take public opinion into consideration in the policy formulation process, so that social conflicts are addressed early.
Meanwhile, we would like to express our hope that the world powers concerned will grant the disputing parties sufficient maneuvering room and preparation time to reach a mutually agreeable solution for their likewise mutual benefit, meaning that they will refrain from open or covert intervention into these local events.
