Yesterday, I took a trip to the Shenzhen. For those of you don't know, Shenzhen is the 4th largest city in mainland China, and it resides right on the border of Hong Kong and China (since Hong Kong is not technically in China). As I stood and gawked at the skyline of this communist megacity, I got my first real taste of what it is like to be in a dictatorship. I looked at my phone, and none of my apps or internet would even open. This is because the Chinese government is gradually cutting off its citizens from the outside world. They are doing this by censoring websites and apps that most of us consider essential to our lives. Things like Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, and even Google are not accessible to the general public, and the stream of information that they do have access to is heavily controlled by the government. Abashed, and useless phone in hand, I quickly made my way back to Hong Kong. China is set to take back total control of Hong Kong in 2047, but many people think it will be sooner than that. China has already begun the process of dissolving the border by trying to control which officials Hong Kong can elect. in 2014, China offered Hong Kong 3 official candidates and told them that they had to choose one of the three to run for office. Furious, young activist Hong Kongers revolted and staged protests all throughout the city (some of which got violent). This movement was dubbed the "Umbrella Movement" because Hong Kongers would use umbrellas to shield themselves from tear gas dispensed by officers. If it were up to Hong Kong, they would remain independent as a democratic territory forever. After all, they certainly have the economy to sustain themselves. The thing Hong Kong lacks is a military. Aside from a military, Hong Kong has all of the prerequisites for a new country: land, economy, population, and even its own currency! Until Hong Kong has its own military, they are essentially trapped, with nowhere to go figuratively and literally. The fate of this territory lays in the hands of its young population. Until a full generation of people are raised in a completely autonomous Hong Kong (not under Chinese or British rule), Hong Kong will not have the voice it needs to truly stage a revolution. ![]()
1 Comment
Brad
8/7/2018 03:33:48 pm
This is really interesting! I hope the British government can step up and help Hong Kong since the terms they agreed to in 1998 stated honk kongers keep their basic fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech etc. Are there any sort of initiatives from Hong Kong to try to start their own military?
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Chris Bowers
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