The End of Freedom for Hong Kong?

The day after China imposed a harsh new security law on Hong Kong, Joshua Wong, the 23-year-old who is the city’s best-known democracy activist, disbanded the youth political group he co-founded in 2016. Wong said he was afraid for his safety.

“From now on, #Hongkong enters a new era of reign of terror,” Wong tweeted.

It was just one of the many ways that the new law, which was passed in June, reverberated across Hong Kong. Books written by prominent activists were removed from the city’s public library system. Pro-democracy posters that had covered the walls of many businesses vanished, taken down by owners suddenly fearful of being thrown in jail. And within days of the law’s passage, 10 people were arrested and charged under the new law, including a 15-year-old girl who was waving a Hong Kong independence flag in public.

In June, China put in place a harsh new security law in Hong Kong. The next day, 23-year-old Joshua Wong ended the youth political group he co-founded in 2016. Wong, who is the city’s best-known democracy activist, said he was afraid for his safety.

“From now on, #Hongkong enters a new era of reign of terror,” Wong tweeted.

It was just one of the many ways that the new law echoed across Hong Kong. Books written by prominent activists were removed from the city’s public library system. Pro-democracy posters that had covered the walls of many businesses disappeared. They had been taken down by owners suddenly fearful of being thrown in jail. And within days of the law’s passage, 10 people were arrested and charged under the new law. One of them was a 15-year-old girl who was waving a Hong Kong independence flag in public.

The sweeping new national security law gives China’s central government in Beijing broad powers to crack down on a variety of vaguely defined political crimes. Its intent, experts say, is to silence pro-democracy protesters who have flooded the streets of Hong Kong for much of the past year.

“The law is devastating in that it appears to have no bounds,” says Sophie Richardson, the China director at Human Rights Watch. “Hong Kong activists, accustomed to operating in [a] mostly rights-respecting environment, now face a frightening void.”

Hong Kong is a complicated place. Although it’s part of China, it has been treated differently because of its unique history. For more than 150 years, Hong Kong was a British colony. Under Britain, it became a major international trading port and evolved into a Westernized society with a tradition of free speech and a vibrant press. The rest of China has been a one-party Communist state since 1949.

The sweeping new national security law gives China’s central government in Beijing broad powers to crack down on a variety of vaguely defined political crimes. Experts say that it’s aimed at silencing the pro-democracy protesters who have flooded the streets of Hong Kong for much of the past year.

“The law is devastating in that it appears to have no bounds,” says Sophie Richardson, the China director at Human Rights Watch. “Hong Kong activists, accustomed to operating in [a] mostly rights-respecting environment, now face a frightening void.”

Hong Kong is a complicated place. Although it’s part of China, it has been treated differently because of its unique history. For more than 150 years, Hong Kong was a British colony. Under Britain, it became a major international trading port. During that time, Hong Kong also evolved into a Westernized society with a tradition of free speech and a vibrant press. The rest of China has been a one-party Communist state since 1949.

In 1997, Britain gave Hong Kong back to China. But as part of the handover, China agreed to a compromise known as “one country, two systems.” Under this arrangement, Hong Kong would operate under different rules from the rest of China for 50 years: The city’s capitalist financial system would remain in place, and freedom of speech, assembly, and religion, as well as a free press would be guaranteed.

There are no such protections in mainland China. Though economic reforms have led to three decades of explosive growth and made China’s economy the second largest in the world after the U.S., the Chinese government denies basic freedoms to its 1.4 billion people. Political opponents are routinely imprisoned, and tens of thousands of censors—part of “the Great Firewall”—monitor chat rooms and block websites critical of the government.

In 1997, Britain gave Hong Kong back to China. But as part of the handover, China agreed to a compromise known as “one country, two systems.” Under this setup, Hong Kong would operate under different rules from the rest of China for 50 years. The city’s capitalist financial system would remain in place. And freedom of speech, assembly, and religion, as well as a free press would be guaranteed.

There are no such protections in mainland China. Economic reforms have led to three decades of explosive growth. That’s made China’s economy the second largest in the world after the U.S. Despite that, the Chinese government denies basic freedoms to its 1.4 billion people. Political opponents are routinely imprisoned. And there’s “the Great Firewall,” which partly consists of tens of thousands of censors who monitor chat rooms and block websites critical of the government.

In the past few years, as China’s government has increasingly cracked down on opponents, many people in Hong Kong became alarmed by what they saw as moves by the Chinese leadership to restrict their civil liberties. Last year, large-scale protests erupted in Hong Kong after the local government proposed a law that would have made it easier to transfer criminal suspects from Hong Kong to mainland China.

The massive demonstrations, often led by young activists, paralyzed central parts of the city for weeks at a time and forced the Hong Kong government to abandon the proposed law. But the central government in Beijing simply went around Hong Kong’s government and imposed the new tougher security law on the territory.

Chinese officials downplayed the impact.

In the past few years, China’s government has increasingly cracked down on opponents. And many people in Hong Kong became concerned about what they saw as moves by the Chinese leadership to limit their civil liberties. Last year, large-scale protests erupted in Hong Kong. The unrest came after the local government proposed a law that would have made it easier to transfer criminal suspects from Hong Kong to mainland China.

Young activists often led the massive demonstrations. They paralyzed central parts of the city for weeks at a time. That forced the Hong Kong government to abandon the proposed law. But the central government in Beijing simply went around Hong Kong’s government. They imposed the new, tougher security law on the territory.

Chinese officials downplayed the impact.

“This law is to punish a tiny number of criminals who seriously endanger national security,” says Zhang Xiaoming, a government official in Hong Kong.

But many experts say the security law likely means the beginning of a new era for Hong Kong in which civil liberties are tightly restricted and disloyalty to the government in Beijing isn’t tolerated.

“All in all, this is a takeover of Hong Kong,” says Jerome A. Cohen, a New York University law professor who specializes in the Chinese legal system.

The United States condemned the new law and announced that it would end preferential trade and travel treatment for Hong Kong in response.

“Free Hong Kong was one of the world’s most stable, prosperous, and dynamic cities,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. “Now it’ll be just another Communist-run city where its people will be subject to the party elite’s whims.”

“This law is to punish a tiny number of criminals who seriously endanger national security,” says Zhang Xiaoming, a government official in Hong Kong.

But many experts say the security law likely means the beginning of a new era for Hong Kong in which civil liberties are tightly restricted and disloyalty to the government in Beijing isn’t tolerated.

“All in all, this is a takeover of Hong Kong,” says Jerome A. Cohen, a New York University law professor who specializes in the Chinese legal system.

The United States condemned the new law and announced that it would end preferential trade and travel treatment for Hong Kong in response.

“Free Hong Kong was one of the world’s most stable, prosperous, and dynamic cities,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. “Now it’ll be just another Communist-run city where its people will be subject to the party elite’s whims.”

For the more than 7 million people who live in the semiautonomous territory of Hong Kong, life has already changed. Many people have deleted social media accounts, afraid that comments in them could be used against them by the government. Booksellers have begun to nervously eye their customers, wondering if any are government spies seeking out potentially subversive materials. And a museum that commemorates the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, in which the Chinese government killed pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing, is rushing to digitize its archives, afraid that its artifacts could now be seized.

Despite all the new fears and new restrictions, there are still those in Hong Kong willing to protest. On July 1, the day after the new law took effect, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets. One of them was Peter, a 19-year-old student who gave only his first name out of fear for his safety.

“If we shut up,” he told the Financial Times, “then we lose completely.”

For the more than 7 million people who live in the semiautonomous territory of Hong Kong, life has already changed. Many people have deleted social media accounts, afraid that comments in them could be used against them by the government. Booksellers have begun to nervously eye their customers. They now wonder if any are government spies looking for potentially subversive materials. And a museum that commemorates the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, in which the Chinese government killed pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing, is rushing to digitize its archives, afraid that its artifacts could now be seized.

Despite all the new fears and new restrictions, there are still those in Hong Kong willing to protest. On July 1, the day after the new law took effect, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets. One of them was Peter, a 19-year-old student who gave only his first name out of fear for his safety.

“If we shut up,” he told the Financial Times, “then we lose completely.”