Hong Kong Police End 2-Week Campus Siege
Personal items abandoned by protesters this week on the campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Seeming to have no end, the conflict between Hong Kong protestors and the police has been going on for months, since June of 2019, The protests have only escalated in intensity in both sides: police have fired at protesters, thrown tear gas at them, and protesters using firebombs, resulting in numerous injuries on both sides. Police have begun to use more severe means such as guns while protestors have amplified their ways of showing their dissatisfaction with the extradition law through demonstrations and blocking roads.
Recently, university campuses in Hong Kong have increased in popularity serving as gathering sites for protests. After several days of demonstrations at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in response to the death of a 22-year-old student during a protest, militant demonstrators joined them, bringing with them slingshots, firebombs, and bricks in an attempt to keep the police out. The police then threatened to charge them with rioting, which forced some students to find ways to leave the campus through means such as jumping fences when the police were not watching or even trying to escape through the sewers. One student at the University of Hong Kong mentions how depressed he feels given that the students are fleeing the Hong Kong University campus “as if they were refugees” despite being Hong Kong people. With over one thousand arrested on campus, and thousands more arrested since June, it is clear that compromise is needed to reach a mutual understanding.
Questions:
1. Neither side seems to be willing to back down. How do you think this issue could be resolved, if at all?
2. What implications do these protests have for other countries? If this is happening right now in Hong Kong, what could this imply for the rest of the world?
3. Recently, Trump signed the bill that supported Hong Kong by imposing sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials who are involved in the violation of human rights, how could this possibly affect our relationships with China and Hong Kong?
Oh boy, this again. The main problem I see here is just the fact that a concession by the CCP would show that violence works to achieve goals, which could spark even more riots in China or widespread violence internationally, which is literally the worst case scenario. So though I think what the protestors believe in is honorable, giving them what they want would be disastrous for the world at large, and I don't think the protestors are actually going to go completely nonviolent any time soon. The Hong Kong situation is at a complete stalemate right now, and regarding Trump's sanctions, I don't think it will affect our relations much. We're basically already in a massive economic war right now with the tariffs; Wall Street is almost completely dependent on how well trade talks are going, and the global economy is rocking right now. Politics may be interesting most of the time, but when it comes to U.S.-China and Hong Kong-China relations, it's just a splitting headache.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, I think the only way the issue would be deescalated is if outside powers stepped in and played mediator, though there’s a high likelihood that even that would go poorly. The unrest in Hong Kong implicates that protests in other countries could go to similar degrees of length and intensity, given that many other countries face tensions that are in the same category as the ones in Hong Kong. Originally I was going to say that the bill Trump signed would further stress the US-China relations, but after reading what Philip wrote, I am going to try and suspend my belief that we are about to embark on a hellfire fueled political and economic disputes with China, and that it will be mostly an economical dispute.
ReplyDeleteI think that although there is an obvious issue, disagreements, etc. there should be some sense of civility displayed from both sides. Police throwing teargas and protesters throwing firebombs are not at all means of resolving an issues. They are essentially, only forms of violence which in reality, will not get very far in the context of this situation or ones similar to this - Violence or fighting is not the answer to all issues, as there are various peaceful means of doing so. In turn, both sides need to come to their senses and maybe come to a compromise which will satisfy both sides... perhaps a more peaceful protest would even get their point across? Also, as far as how this protest in Hong Kong could impact the rest of the world, it could act as an influence for similar instances. Rather than promoting peaceful means or other methods of resolving disputes, by holding and publicizing violent protests like this, it only causes others to learn from them and engage in the same behavior. Finally, I think by the US supporting the bill of imposing sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials, the relationship between the two would be strengthened as these sanctions aim to improve the affair in relation to human rights.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you in that both sides should try to restrain from violence as that is only making the situation even worse for both sides. You are definitely right in that this has the potential to influence violent protests, but I believe that this is also can be inspiring in the sense that it is a call to action, and therefore can encourage others to fight for what they believe is right.
DeleteConsidering that this conflict has been ongoing for many months now, the government of Hong Kong is definitely beginning to experience the political and economic pressures that are pushing them towards some type of action that will bring this conflict to an end. In response to your first question, I believe that there should be a cease fire to avoid any more fatalities since any more fatalities would only further escalate the conflict. During that cease fire, I would suggest some type of peaceful resolution, such as peace talks, in order to de-escalate this situation.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, without outside intervention, it is hard to see this situation doing anything but taking a turn for the worst. China has vast military and financial resources, as well as wordly political influence. They are also somewhat unconcerned with human rights when engaging with the protesters. All of this combined makes a scary demon of a country, and it will get whatever it wants. I think passing a bill in support of Hong Kong will sour our relationship with China, but quite frankly, if we go any further than that, we may face an all out war over Hong Kong. I think the UN should take the lead on the Hong Kong situation, and let other countries follow suit.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, such clashes have resulted in three outcomes: deescalation/compromise, the stronger party taking over, or international intervention. Right now, it seems like deescalation is increasingly unlikely, and the civilian condition in Hong Kong is rapidly worsening. This is like the American revolution in that years of building grievances is finally erupting. China seems unwilling to budge with the extradition bill. China completely has the power to take over unless international intervention prevents this. I believe that mere sanctions on officials is not enough, and there needs to be larger-scale international sanctions on China until this situation is resolved. I agree with Justin that the UN can play a significant role in deescalating this conflict.
ReplyDeleteI think this issue is just unfortunate, especially if you bring in young aspiring minds into the conflict, it makes it even worse a situation. There have been many conflicts between these 2, but I believe with the history hindsight we have now, conflicts such as these shouldn't be reoccuring to the magnitude that they have been. UN can definitely help because it brings in the world powers to lay down rule, and perspective which can be very beneficial. Protesting is somewhat impactful, but it does come with potential consequences seen with police enforcement extent. It really is dangerous, and risky to fight for what you believe in, so I think this fact will just prove more real, outside intervention should act fast to prevent escalation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Audrey’s point. Tension on both sides of the Hong Kong debate seems to be getting more intense, and resolution seems difficult internally. I believe the best solution would be to have an external country/group get involved and find a way to compromise between the two sides, perhaps the UN. It is clear that the citizens of Hong Kong will not stop until some sort of compromise is reached in policy making. As one of the largest countries in the world, China has a lot of influence over other countries in its region. Therefore, it is essential that the problem be solved quickly. From a democratic standpoint, China should be required to listen to the protesters and respond to their sentiment. After all, the government should be there to serve the people. What could happen maybe is a sort of trial. If another country acts as a judge and the two opposing sides represent the police and protesters, a more nonviolent and democratic method of solving this dispute could be implemented. However, it would require the Chinese government to be open to this idea, which I doubt they might.
ReplyDeleteMany people are calling for a quick ending to the issues in Hong Kong, but the fact remains that it is politics mired in economics that makes the situation exponentially more difficult to defuse. It is easy to call for other countries to step in, but many simply don't want to deal with the risk of backlash from the Chinese government. And with this stalemate, it seems the most likely outcome would be the CCP waiting out the Hong Kong protesters, slowly dismantling the organizational structure. Although it is cynical, eventually China would just assert itself over Hong Kong, and that would be the end of it.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point regarding the reality of the situation concerning Hong Kong, which is that even after 7 months of protesting, the people of Hong Kong haven’t made as much progress as they had hoped for. The CCP still barely wavers in its position, refusing to concede to any of the 5 key demands of protestors. Although protests did successfully achieve the withdrawal of the extradition bill in September, with confrontation quickly escalating to violence and the Hong Kong economy sliding into recession for the first time in a decade, a resolution favorable to the people of Hong Kong is unlikely to happen in the near future. As unfortunate as this is, however, this doesn’t mean that it’ll be “the end of it” for Hong Kong. History has demonstrated again and again that no matter how much an aggressor may try to silence criticism and exert dictatorial power over an unwilling group, freedom will always win out over oppression in the end.
DeleteI don’t see the Hong Kong protests being resolved anytime soon. On one side you have indignant protestors motivated by freedom and democracy with demands, and on the other side you have the Chinese government. The same Government that massacred thousands of student protesters in 1989 at Tiananmen square and currently have 2 million uighurs in “Political Re-Education Camps.” The Chinese Government is not going to meet the Hong Kong protestor’s 5 demands, so they aren’t going to stop protesting anytime soon. I see no resolution to this. Other countries can look to Hong Kong and be inspired to take action and demand democracy… but unfortunately I really don’t think it's gonna make a big difference. I understand why the protestors are mad but I really don’t understand what their end goal is… it seems unachievable. If only our president would speak out against their police brutality and unlawful detainment of uighurs… but I don’t think he really understands or cares. We are going to continue to trade with China, and tariffs and sanctions aren’t going to stop that relationship anytime soon, just hurt American farmers and businesses. I only hope the protests don’t escalate into even more violence.
ReplyDeleteNow that violence has started, it seems highly unlikely that the conflict will result in a peaceful resolution, especially since the Chinese government does not depend on public support nearly as much as the US government. Hong Kong seems to be appealing to international support by calling for freedom and democracy, both very strong Western ideals, and praising Trump for signing the bill backing Hong Kong protesters. However, while this might work for less powerful entities, such as colonial governments or the nations currently at each other's throats in the Middle East, it is difficult to do to China as it is a major world power and would not appreciate foreign intervention. I believe it may be a repeat of Japan's invasion of Manchuria and the League of Nations' response to it: the Western nations will condemn the human rights abuses and violation of democracy, but will not actually do anything, letting the larger power win eventually.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, this issue has escalated to a point where a resolution is a far off proposition. Both sides have engaged in forms of violence; the protesters have been throwing firebombs, while the police liberally use teargas. A resolution could only come when the violence dies down and both sides are willing to conduct a civilized discussion. This kind of protest could spark similar revolutions in other countries whose people have similar grievances as the Hong Kong people. Examples of this kind of domino effect can be seen in history. For example, the French revolution was largely influenced by the success of the American revolution. No matter who Trump sides with, he will end up upsetting someone. The only way for Trump to keep good relations with China as a whole is to not get involved at all.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the protesters could try a different tactic of civil disobedience. In the Civil Rights Movement, MLK, Rosa Parks, and others got the sympathy of people around the nation and the world because of their peaceful and nonviolent actions in response to the violent and racist police/white-supremacists' brutality. Take the Sit-In movement for example, the protesters didn't do anything wrong, and when they were beaten, they were seen as the innocent victims. In Hong Kong, it seems like the protesters are causing a lot of violence and maybe that's one reason why their cause isn't gaining much sympathy and support from the government, because they aren't establishing some sort of emotional connection with the people. What they're doing right now doesn't seem to be working, so maybe they should try another strategy and see where it takes them.
ReplyDeleteAfter weeks of blood, sweat, and tears, civil disobedience in the streets of Hong Kong does not seem sufficient towards enacting significant change in legislation. In the event that the CCP meets the 5 demands of the Hong Kong protesters, I believe that there needs to be significant diplomatic pressure from many countries in order to achieve this. If this does not occur, the Hong Kong protesters would potentially continue be at a conflict with the government until they run out of resources/morale support. To accelerate foreign intervention in Hong Kong, I believe that the CCP would have to do something truly horrific at a large scale that cannot be suppressed. That being said, the Hong Kong protesters have most certainly played a fundamental role in motivating protesters at other oppressive countries to rebel against their government.
ReplyDeleteThe government of Hong Kong is probably feeling a lot of pressure politically and economically that is pushing them to do something to bring an end to this conflict that has been ongoing for months now. In response to your first question, I believe that both sides should restrain from violence because that is only going to make the situation a lot worse for both sides. This definitely has the potential to influence violent protests; however, this can be pretty inspiring as it can call to action.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I cannot see a clear end for this conflict. China has a past of being a very oppressive government to those who stand up to them against their rule. Hong Kong has little to no negotiation space with China other than causing problems for them. Hong Kong protestors need to have a big change and gain some outside support to possibly stand a chance to have an independent government. I do believe that they are trying their hardest, but some of the actions I think are just detrimental to their cause due to the harshness of the response these actions would warrant from the police. The news is already filled with reports of violence and deaths from the riots, from police shooting innocents or brutally beating them down.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I see it, there is no way to alleviate the tension between Hong Kong protestors and the Chinese government. Both sides are prepared to go to extreme lengths to reach their goals, and I only see the situation escalating from here. These protests can spark a trend where countries dissatisfied with their leaders are more willing to take severe action for change. As far as U.S. relations with China, I believe that these new sanctions will only serve to further strain both economies. Trump has never been fond of the trade status between the U.S. and China, but this time he might be morally in the right. Violating human rights should not be tolerated on any level, and anything that America can do to pressure China into pushing for reform is not only just but necessary.
ReplyDeleteI was in Hong Kong over the summer, before the protests became mainly violence-based, and it's been really sad seeing such a beautiful province become a place where people are afraid to leave their homes. As I've said on earlier blog posts about the Hong Kong protests, the protesters in Hong Kong have tried peaceful protests, and I think it came to a point where it was evident that it wasn't going to work, so they resorted to riots and violence, hoping desperately that the government in Hong Kong and China will take a step back. Thankfully, the United States is finally taking action to support the fight for democracy, but I think -- though I hope not -- that it will take more than that for China to back down.
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