Recent events show that China has embarked on emptying the two systems policy. Hong Kong is in reality no longer a democratic territory. China has eroded the democratic processes and systems in the city and has unleashed a brutal crackdown on remaining pockets of the pro-democracy movement. However, many pro-democracy activists are not relenting. Some are still pushing for change in Hong Kong. This article by Gao Feng is published by VOA News. Here is an excerpt:
For decades, Hong Kong was the only city in China where residents were allowed to publicly mark the anniversary of the bloody June 4, 1989, crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square. Each year, one group, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, organized several memorials for June 4, including the annual candlelight vigil at Victoria Park, which drew tens of thousands of people.
This year, the vigil was banned for a second time, after Beijing passed a sweeping national security law for the island last June. That did not stop Chow Hang Tung, the alliance’s vice chairwoman and a key person in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, from going to Victoria Park to commemorate June 4 on her own, despite the risks.
She insisted her action was meant to preserve the dignity of the victims under China’s authoritarian rule. She was detained for more than 30 hours for violating the national security law before being released on bail.
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