Political Crackdown Resumes as COVID-19 Fades in Hong Kong
Image Source: Tyrone Siu/Reuters
Hong Kong has seen the 19th continuous day without locally transmitted cases of the coronavirus as of 8th May, proving its success in containing the second wave outbreak. Observers applauded the public for its strong community response, especially the concerted effort in wearing masks, long before the World Health Organisation changed its rhetoric on the matter in early April. The government has since relaxed some social distancing measures, and the city seems to be on track to return to its pre-pandemic ‘norm’.
On Labour Day, locals flocked to the countryside and outlying islands as the need for unwinding mounts after months of political and public health crisis. Queues were seen outside local shops following online calls for showing solidarity with Pro-Democracy businesses. Small protests returned as some protestors gathered in shopping malls singing Glory to Hong Kong, the anthem of the pro-democracy movement. This ended with riot police entering the mall and dispersing the rally with pepper spray; a scene that has become commonplace since the beginning of the saga over Extradition Law.
Image Source: Hong Kong Free Press HKFP/Twitter https://twitter.com/HongKongFP/status/1256160662843097089
Video: VOA - Hong Kong riot police use pepper spray at a shopping mall in Sha Tin
On 8th May, an armed mob was seen taking down the Lennon Wall in a local residential district. Some residents were attacked as they attempted to fend off the mob. Some attackers were seen fleeing the scene taking a taxi as police arrived, while some attacked were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly.
As the threat of COVID-19 subsides in the city-state, the Chinese government has renewed its suppression on the city’s last remnants of autonomy and liberty. With the upcoming Legislative Council elections taking place in September, the city’s lawmaking body has once again become the focal point of political conflict and suppression. Some critics argued that it is an attempt to prevent the repetition of the previous landslide victory of the Pro-Democracy camp in the 2019 District Council local elections.
The election of the chairman of the House Committee, the second-most important role of LegCo (Legislative Council), received direct intervention from the Hong Kong Liaison Office; a proxy of the Chinese Communist Party. This move was in defiance of the Basic Law of Hong Kong, the mini-constitution of the city, which stipulates that the Chinese Central Government is not allowed to intervene in Hong Kong’s internal affairs, including the Legislature of the city. The Chinese government later reiterated that the Liaison Office is not bound by the related clauses of the constitution, causing a backlash from the public and law experts in Hong Kong. This raised further fears that this would be the de-facto end of the ‘one-country, two-system’ as China no longer respects its own constitutional promises.
Over a dozen of prominent figures of the democratic movement were arrested in mid-April, fueling further distrusts towards the discredited authority for the political turmoil last year and its delayed measures dealing with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
The political crackdown also took on smaller versions. Locals who previously criticised the authority for implementing social distancing rules received treatment of double standards. Pro-democracy businesses were allegedly subjected to stricter rules, as one Hong Kong-style café was repeatedly forced to shut down due to police inspections under social distancing guidelines.
Disclaimer: some sources were only available in Chinese, the writer has tried their best to make every source of information in English.