On July 1, we mark the 25th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China. This date is conceived as halfway through 50 years of promised autonomy within “One country, two systems”. Yet it is now clear that the Hong Kong and Beijing authorities no longer view democratic participation, fundamental freedoms, and independent media as part of this vision.
In 2019, millions of Hong Kong residents joined public protests to oppose the controversial extradition law. Beijing’s response – the National Security Act – has set the stage for the erosion of autonomy and the abolition of the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents in the last two years. Authorities shut down the opposition, and many were jailed for more than a year. Hong Kong leaders have raided independent media organizations, closed museums and removed public works of art, weakened democratic institutions, postponed elections, prevented vigils, disqualified seated lawmakers and established oaths of allegiance. Government officials have spread misinformation that protests at the local level are the work of foreign actors. They did all this in an effort to deprive Hong Kongers of what they had been promised.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Hong Kong and strengthen their calls to re-establish their promised freedoms.
