This summer marks the fifth anniversary of the protests by the crushed democracy movement in Hong Kong. Hardly anyone dares to criticize publicly anymore.
In the summer of 2019, people in Hong Kong took to the streets for months. At first it was a peaceful protest against a planned extradition law. Over time, it became generally directed against the influence of China’s communist central government in Hong Kong. People demonstrated for more democracy. Violent clashes with the police also became more and more frequent.
Arbitrary arrests
“I was in my second year at university. And suddenly the campus was full of protesters,” recalls a young woman from Hong Kong. She was 19 years old at the time. “Then the police surrounded the entire campus. There was tear gas and lots of rubber bullets. Some of my fellow students were arrested.”
After a police officer shot a demonstrator, numerous schoolchildren and students protested in Hong Kong in 2019.
Towards the late summer and autumn of 2019, violence became more frequent. The police used water cannons, batons and tear gas. Demonstrators threw paving stones and incendiary devices. At least two people died on the sidelines of the protests. More than 4,000 were arrested. Among them was the then 19-year-old. She was held for two days. Her partner was prosecuted and is still in prison today – probably until 2026.
“He was arrested during demonstrations in the Admiralty district. People had just laid siege to a street when the police suddenly arrived,” the 19-year-old recalls. Some people who were arrested had done nothing except simply being there that day. Their dream at the time: more democracy and free elections. But that dream has been shattered.
False promises
When Great Britain handed Hong Kong over to China in 1997, the communist state and party leadership promised to grant Hong Kong extensive civil liberties. They have not kept their promise. Their influence in the Chinese special administrative region is increasing.
In the year after the protests, the Chinese central government in Beijing introduced a so-called state security law for Hong Kong. The official reason given was that this was to prevent further protests, which would endanger national security. The same argument is still used today by the Beijing-loyal government in Hong Kong.
The long arm of Beijing
“The threat to national security is real,” said Chief Executive John Lee in early June. It is therefore important that everyone remembers this and is on guard against attempts to cause inconvenience to Hong Kong and disturb public peace.
In March, the Hong Kong government expanded the security law. Crimes such as high treason and rebellion against the state are now punishable by life imprisonment. Many people no longer dare to express their opinions for fear of saying something that the authorities might perceive as critical of the government. The protests have died down.
“Just the thought of criticism seems too much. You really can’t say anything anymore. And it’s almost as if everyone has given up,” says a 32-year-old woman who grew up in Hong Kong.
Only a few protest
There are only a few pro-democracy activists left in Hong Kong, many have fled abroad, for example to Canada or Great Britain. Others are in prison. One of the last people who dares to hold small protests despite the risk of being arrested is Dickson Chau. He is the deputy chairman of the League of Social Democrats. The former parliamentary party is now excluded from the elections in Hong Kong as a pro-democracy opposition.
“I think it’s important to remind ourselves that we have the right to fight for democracy and freedom,” says Chau. The best way to do that is to speak your mind. Otherwise, the government might quietly take it away.
A systematic problem
The young woman, whose boyfriend is still in prison, would have liked to go into politics – with free elections. Now that the candidates are dictated by Beijing, that is no longer an option for her. She blames the system for her boyfriend being in prison.
“It’s a systematic problem in Hong Kong. It doesn’t make sense if people try to improve the system and are punished for it.” When her boyfriend gets out of prison in 2026, the two want to get married, they have already decided that.