Holy Fucking Shit

"TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut" (twincharged) 09/28/2014 at 05:28 • Filed to: None

6

15

There are 50,000 people gathered on the streets of Hong Kong right now, protesting against the HK government for democracy and fighting against the police. Violence and pepper spray is being used extensively. This isn't good.

Cé hé sin > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 09/28/2014 at 05:32

0

Democracy in any part of China? Not a chance. It may be a people's republic but that doesn't mean that it's of the people.

Money Hustard > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 09/28/2014 at 06:59

9

That surprises me, because normally China is so reasonable and evenhanded with pro-democracy protesters. That's why Tibet is such a prosperous, happy place to be.

ToyDeathbot > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 09/28/2014 at 07:45

3

being a Hong Kongese by ethnicity, this is looking rather concerning. I guess my parents were knew what they were doing when they left in the early 90s.

CB > Money Hustard 09/28/2014 at 08:07

0

That sounds pretty bad. Stay safe.

zeontestpilot > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 09/28/2014 at 08:38

1

Dang....stay inside, ok? And maybe keep us updated?

RMudkips > ToyDeathbot 09/28/2014 at 10:35

0

Their concerns would come true over 20 years later

RMudkips > Cé hé sin 09/28/2014 at 10:39

0

Hong Kong's actually been democratic since the handover in '97. The protests are in response to a decision that would have Beijing choose their leaders (I forgot the name of the job) that's really recent. Very concerning stuff

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > zeontestpilot 09/28/2014 at 12:12

1

Will do.

Xyl0c41n3 > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 09/28/2014 at 15:13

0

Would you mind if I shared this post as well?

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Xyl0c41n3 09/28/2014 at 15:21

1

I don't mind! But as with all forms of social media, take it with a pinch of salt because information is never completely clear.

Xyl0c41n3 > TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut 09/28/2014 at 15:23

0

Totally understood. Thank you for letting me share them. I hope you continue to remain safe.

MissNormaDesmond > RMudkips 09/28/2014 at 17:43

2

In other words, the PRC has been biding its time, especially since it signed an agreement to grant HK autonomy for 50 years as part of the handover. It's now beginning to take action to bring HK in line. In any case, I don't know if you can really call HK democratic when they haven't been allowed to have elections for years, and have now been told that they can only vote for candidates approved by the PRC.

RMudkips > MissNormaDesmond 09/28/2014 at 21:12

1

Yeah, I read a little more to day and would've edited it to read "fairly free" instead of "democratic". The candidates thing sounds worrying as hell, but if they stick with it PRC still "kept" that 2017 promise.

MissNormaDesmond > RMudkips 09/28/2014 at 22:06

0

Yeah, but those scare quotes you used are quite appropriate. So I think the OP in this thread is pretty correct — they may have an "election", for show, in three years, but the process of bringing Hong Kong into the warm and inextricable embrace of the mainland is underway.

ranwhenparked > Cé hé sin 09/28/2014 at 22:11

0

One China, Two Systems. It was a concept created in the 1970s to encourage Taiwan to reunite with the mainland by promising that they could keep their capitalist economic system and autonomous government by accepting the overall sovereignty of the PRC's government in Beijing. Taiwan wasn't interested, but the idea was then adapted to the British and Portuguese colonies of Hong Kong and Macau.

Basically, Hong Kong has its own autonomous government and enough freedoms and powers to be almost an independent country in some respects, but is still under the sovereignty of Beijing. They have their own currency, their own ship registry, their own legal system, a democratic government with legal opposition parties, etc.