four years ago, they were tens of thousands to protest in the streets of hong Kong to demand more democracy. A climate of revolt that now seems far away. This Monday begins the trial of Chan Kin-man, Benny Tai and Chu Yiu-Ming, the three initiators of the “revolution of umbrellas”. For three weeks, the three men will be tried for “disturbing public order”.
“The main voices of the movement are not forgotten. They are still listened to, but as they are not represented in Parliament, they did an echo and outside of the institutions,” says Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a professor at the baptist university of hong Kong. Because Beijing watch the grain so that no similar movement could not re-surface. In 2014, the protests lasted 79 days. The activists pro-democracy opposed to the chinese government, which wished to reduce the scope of universal suffrage for the election of the chief executive of hong Kong. An electoral reform, which will not finally take place.
Restriction of freedom to come?
The “revolution of umbrellas” has had an impact on the political scene in hong kong. “After these events, the movement was fragmented, resulting in the creation of many training pro-democracy policies”, explains Jean-Pierre Cabestan. One of the leaders, the young Joshua Wong, the founder of the party prodémocratique Demosisto in 2016. But all do not agree on how to enforce their claims. Some want the respect of the autonomy of hong Kong vis-à-vis the guardianship of chinese when others want the independence pure and simple this territory populated by more than 7 million people. This is particularly the case of the hong Kong National Party (HKNP), created in 2016.
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But the HKNP has been banned in the month of September for reasons of national security and public order. Several activists of this movement have also not been able to be present at the last legislative elections. Others who were elected were subsequently disqualified. For many hong Kong, China continues to increase its hold on the territory in the semi-autonomous status which is supposed to enjoy the liberties that does not have mainland China. A privilege inherited from the retrocession by Britain 21 years ago, according to the principle: “one country, two systems”.
in Addition to the emergence of a vast movement prodémocratique, the “revolution of umbrellas” was in some way an aspect to be counter-productive with the strengthening of the power of Beijing. A right of way in china could reach its climax in the coming months, with a law of national security. Under article 23 of the Constitution in hong kong, the government is considering, in effect, to put in place a law that will prohibit “treason, secession, and subversion” against the chinese government. According to Cabestan, “the question is how far this bill will be repressive,” because the word might be limited with this law.
