Pro-democracy protesters take over Hong Kong
China plans to curb
the free and democratic elections of the former British colony and many
citizens have decided to
make a stand. Will their protest make a difference?
China's ruling Communist Party is very nervous because, this week,
thousands of angry pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong’s business district,
carrying signs denouncing the Beijing government and calling for free
elections.
Luckily for the Communist Party, such a direct challenge to its
authority is still unthinkable
on the mainland.
Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997, when the city was handed to China. Just before
leaving, however, the British introduced democracy. While China is a one-party
state, the Communist Party guaranteed that Hong Kong could keep its new
democratic system with a high degree of independence for at least 50 years.
Hong Kong’s protesters say this promise has been broken. The city will hold elections in
2017 in which every adult can vote. The catch, however, is that China has ruled that the only
candidates allowed to stand for election must first be picked by a pro-Beijing committee.
For the protesters, this means it will be not be a truly democratic vote.
From Beijing’s perspective, governing the former colony is a huge
challenge. The Communist Party worries that if it allows Hong Kong too much
freedom, citizens on the mainland might start to demand greater freedom too.
The Party, and even many Chinese, worry that if the government loses its grip on power, the
whole country might slide
into lawless chaos. This is why China is highly unlikely to back down in the face of
these protests and many of their organisers acknowledge this.
Some say the protests will only undermine Hong Kong’s reputation for
order. Some democracy
advocates accept that even with the limitations imposed from Beijing,
their ‘imperfect’ elections are the best they can hope for. Many in China think
that Hong Kong will gain greater freedom if it wins Beijing’s trust, and public protests
will not achieve this.
Yet others agree with the protesters that they must make their voices heard, even if it is
only symbolic. It is terrible that a free and democratic city of seven million
is being slowly suffocated
by a despotic regime based thousands of miles away. At the very least,
the protests will embarrass China internationally and let the world know of
this injustice.
Article from THE DAY (adapted), published on Thursday, 04 September 2014
To do
- Before reading the article from THE DAY, make a list of things you know about Hong Kong and about China.
- Read the article and translate the highlighted words.
- Make a list of five words which summarize the article.
Questions
- Who has taken over Hong Kong and why?
- What is a colony?
- What is a “business district”?
- What is the “Beijing government”?
- What are “free elections”?
- Why did the British hand over Hong Kong to China in 1997?
- What promise has been broken according to protesters?
- Why might China collapse?
- Do you think the protests are justified?
- Would YOU take part in a pro-democracy demonstration?
