In his national day address, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to protect the stability of Hong Kong, which is a special administrative region under China. But the protesters were defiant as they shut down streets, shopping malls and metro stations. In the ensuing clash with the police, many of them were badly injured, including one who got shot in the chest.
Hong Kong has witnessed massive protest demonstrations since June after the local government led by the pro-Chinese Chief Executive Carrie Lam introduced a proposal to allow the extradition of criminal suspects to the mainland. Although Hong Kong is no stranger to anti-government protests, the ongoing crisis has been the most intense since Britain ceded the city state to China in 1997. Protestors have been dodging rubber bullets, tear gas shells and water cannons during months of demonstrations. The wave of protests has now turned into a pro-democracy movement.
Hong Kong, one of the major business hubs in the world, is facing huge financial losses because of the protests. The aviation industry alone has incurred losses worth $76 million (till August) from flight cancellations caused by protests at the busy Hong Kong airport. The retail industry saw sales plummeting by 11.4 per cent.
Protesters want Lam to go. “The government is very obedient to Beijing,” says Claudia Mo, Hong Kong legislator and pro-democracy leader. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Mo says Lam got lots of money to pass the extradition bill and that she refuses to listen to the people.
Edited excerpts:
The police have been using force to disperse protesters.
Beijing initially thought of using its army in Hong Kong, but it cannot afford to use its military to crack down on severe social unrest. So it is using the Hong Kong Police as a prop for the Chinese army, which explains the rampant police brutality. We want a stop to that.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 13, 2019 من THE WEEK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 13, 2019 من THE WEEK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
