“A national security law was imposed on Hong Kong through a process nobody in Hong Kong had any control over, with content nobody in Hong Kong was privy to. That should put an end to the notion that Hong Kong remains autonomous in any meaningful way”
– Alvin Cheung.
Ever since the grim reality of handover to Chinese rule began to loom in the 1990s, Hong Kong has been fighting a long, brave battle against Beijing’s brutal authoritarianism. This week, the battle may well have been finally lost for good.
Beijing has passed a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong that critics fear will crush political freedoms and pave the way for China to cement its control over the semi-autonomous territory. Less than 40 days after Chinese lawmakers first proposed imposing an anti-sedition law on Hong Kong, the standing committee of the National People’s Congress, on Tuesday approved the measure, according to the DAB, Hong Kong’s largest pro-Beijing party[…]Officials have not released the full text of the law criminalising secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
The passage of the bill also strips away the remaining tatters of any prospect that China would honour the promises it made in 1997. Communists lie – whoever would have thought?
The legislation, which has been condemned internationally, deals a devastating blow to Hong Kong’s autonomy as promised under the “one country, two systems” framework, the terms of the former British colony’s handover to Chinese control in 1997[…]
In the decades since the handover, Hong Kong’s free press, independent courts and legislature, as well as its traditions of protests and marches have made the city a haven for the civil liberties not enjoyed across the border, especially as the government under Xi Jinping has further cracked down on civil society.
Those differences were thrown into sharp relief last year as protests – over another controversial bill that residents saw as further Chinese encroachment on their city – turned into a broader democracy movement.
Authorities have been clear that the legislation is aimed at stopping those protests, which have created new diplomatic tensions and added to an increasingly hostile international environment for Beijing.
Western countries are preparing for a mass exodus, seeking to escape Beijing’s boot heel.
The UK has pledged to change immigration rules if the law goes through to offer Hong Kong residents eligible for a British National Overseas passport a “route to citizenship”. Taiwan has also promised to help those fleeing gain residency in Taiwan.
Hong Kongers have already been applying for refugee status in Australia. The Australian government is yet to declare its hand, but MPs on all sides of the house have urged that Hong Kongers be given special consideration.
At least, unlike so much of the detritus that has crashed Australia’s borders for the past couple of decades, these refugees will bring valuable skills and an industrious mindset with them. We’re unlikely to see gangs of Hong Kongers brawling in our streets and robbing beachgoers, let alone squatting on welfare for decades.
Beijing’s loss will almost certainly be our gain.
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