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Letters | National security law will not fix what lies at the root of Hong Kong discontent
- Hong Kong’s protest movement shares some similarities with demonstrations that took place in Spain and Brazil in recent years
- These largely decentralised, youth-led movements demanded better governance, an end to inequality and other reforms beyond the national security law’s scope
The National People’s Congress Standing Committee is expected to soon pass the full draft of the national security law for Hong Kong. Some believe the law can restore order to Hong Kong, but this will be difficult to achieve since the law does not address the root of the current social turmoil.
The past decade has seen a series of nationwide and even globalised social movements, such as the Indignados movement in Spain and nationwide protests in Brazil, before Black Lives Matter swept the world. The protests in Spain were sparked by severe fiscal austerity while the Brazilian demonstrations were triggered by a rise in transport fares, but both grew rapidly to encompass a wide range of grievances.
Hong Kong’s protest movement shares some similarities with them. It started with opposition to the extradition bill and then widened into broader anti-government protests.
Youngsters were major participants, and these movements kept up their momentum through the internet without clearly identified leaders. Their demands showed a deep dissatisfaction with the political status quo. The Spanish protesters requested a fairer democracy and the removal of corrupt politicians while the Brazilian protesters were eager to change their obsolete and corrupt political system.
Hongkongers demand a genuine democracy. Some protesters later formed political parties or ran for election to turn their ideas into institutional reforms, culminating in the landslide victory of the pro-democracy camp in the district council elections in November.
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Hong Kong police arrest protesters marking one year anniversary of June 12 major clashes
Hong Kong police arrest protesters marking one year anniversary of June 12 major clashes
Demanding a better form of democracy appears to be the universal theme of these social movements. The protesters wanted to further democratise their existing social and political systems as much as possible.
Other than possibly being a measure to reduce violence in the streets, though, Hong Kong’s national security law does nothing to address this seemingly irreversible global trend.
Orwell Lai, Sha Tin
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