Is Pro-Democratic Candidates’ Victory in Hong Kong A True Victory of Democracy?
3 DECEMBER 2019
The clean sweep by
pro-democracy candidates in the recently concluded district
council elections against the backdrop of prolonged street agitation by
Hong Kongers may be termed as a victory of democracy in Hong Kong. But China
thinks otherwise. Hong Kongers may rejoice on the triumph of pro-democracy
candidates, but will this success pave the way for greater democracy for Hong
Kongers or force China to stiffen its stand is a question, reply to which is
being eagerly awaited by the industrial and political communities across the
globe. Pro-democratic candidates’ victory has angered the Chinese government,
and it is apparent by the Communist Party newspaper, The People’s Daily’s stand that the triumph is foreign
powers’ conspiracy.
Echoing the
government’s stand, China Daily in
an editorial said that young agitators sabotaged the campaign of
pro-establishment candidates and threatened their supporters from exercising
their franchise. The newspaper termed the results as a setback for Hong Kong’s
democratic development. But the protestors are adamant and unwilling to back
off until their demands are met – demands include an independent inquiry into
police’s high-handedness, a general amnesty for arrested protesters, revocation
of the classification of the protesters as “rioters”, and complete universal
suffrage. Protesters are also
demanding the resignation of Lam as chief executive.
Beijing and the Hong
Kong governments, however, are reluctant to give in to the demands. Geng
Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman at a scheduled press conference, said,
“Hong Kong affairs are purely domestic affairs as it is part of China. We are
in support of ‘one country, two systems’ principle and are against foreign
interference in Hong Kong affairs,” Geng added. Xi has reportedly said that any
attempt to divide China would end with “bodies smashed and bones ground to
powder.”
The US President
Donald Trump’s ratification of the Human Rights and Democracy Act authorizes
sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights
abuses. The Act also bans US-made crowd control weapons’ export to Hong Kong
police, and all these have given reasons to protesters to rejoice, but China is
furious. The Chinese Foreign Ministry statement says, “The US has been denying
facts and distorting the truth. It is backing criminals who are engaged in
violent activities, smashing facilities, setting the fire, assaulting innocent
civilians, breaking the rule of law, and jeopardized social order.”
Uncertainty
Looms for Hong Kong
China is in no mood to
allow Hong Kong too much autonomy when it questioned local courts’ right to
declare laws unconstitutional if they flout the Basic Law or Hong Kong’s
mini-constitution. The Chinese action was prompted by the Hong Kong court’s
decision to strike down a controversial anti-mask law that was forcefully
pushed by Chinese officials. From Beijing’s point of view, a disruptive Hong
Kong presents a severe threat of the unrest spreading to the mainland. Military
intervention in Hong Kong would prove to be “too costly” for China and would
spell doom for free-wheeling Hong Kong.
The protest is
unlikely to fizzle out even if Beijing shows restraint towards Hong Kong due to
the massive resentment towards the elite government class that dominates the
economy and the Hong Kong police force.
In light of China’s
crackdown in Xinjiang and Tibet, it seems the international community,
including the United States, Britain, and others, have limited scope to support
the protest movement in the long run. China may not have an answer to the
current imbroglio, but history stands testimonial to the fact that China is a
hard nut to crack and will not buckle under pressure. Is Pro-Democratic Candidates’ Victory in Hong Kong A True Victory of Democracy?
Comments