RIP Hong Kong

Hong Kong protest of the extradition bill in 2019 // photo by Studio Incendo

I love Hong Kong. I have friends there. My wife has family there. We held a wedding banquet there. We had our engagement photos taken there. She was born there. Every time I've been to Hong Kong, it's been a blast.

It's also right near the top of the Human Freedom Index by CATO. It's one of the freest places on Earth. This has raised the standard of living in Hong Kong from a city of poverty in the mid century 1900s to disposable income per capita of $43,000, the second highest in the world behind the United States, if Hong Kong were a country. If I had to move out of the United States, Hong Kong would have been pretty high on the list of places to go.

If it weren't for the communo-fascists in China.

In 1997, the British handed the keys to Hong Kong back to China, under the provision that the two countries would have two separate systems for 50 years. Not even half the time has expired and the Chinese Communist Party on Thursday, has passed a national security law that could effectively eliminate the one country two systems approach.

The specifics are still being hashed out, but all indications are that civil rights would be significantly curbed, with broad language of "sedition, subversion, secession, and treason". China could start placing their "security agencies", famous for disappearing people like Lam Wing-Kee the owner of Causeway Books and involved parties, within Hong Kong. The bill would ban "terrorism", which rational people would see it as the Hong Kong police, but the Communist Party would likely see it as the protesters. The bill would also likely broaden laws against "subversion" which would almost certainly effectively ban Hong Kong's annual Tiananmen Square massacre commemoration, even if not immediately. It would, however, certainly make illegal groups that advocate against the wills of the Communist Party, possibly also including booksellers that dare sell Winnie the Pooh media. Groups such as Demosistō would likely be among the first to be persecuted. With China's insecure leadership, their kangaroo courts, and arbitrary enforcement of the rule of law, civil rights and potentially, economic rights, in Hong Kong appears to be doomed.

Similar legislation was introduced in 2003, but protesters were able to quash it at the time. With the Coronavirus outbreaks, Chinese authorities are hoping that they could get it through under the radar, a tactic used by governments across the world, including the United States government. At the time, the region's chief executive said, about the attempted legislation, “If you do not plan to engage in acts of secession, subversion, terrorism or conspiring with foreign influence in connection with Hong Kong affairs, you will have no reason to fear,” which, when someone says that, is exactly the time to fear the authoritarian boot.

For the past year, the Hong Kong people have bravely protested the extradition bill in the face of police exhibiting excessive force. The protests have largely been peaceful until the police started using aggressive tactics and people mysteriously dying near police activity.

The protesters were able to get the extradition bill removed, but still have four demands left. With this new national security bill, I have a feeling the protesters will be adding a sixth demand onto their list.

I really hope the protesters will succeed in all of their goals. I would like my son to be able to visit Hong Kong one day and experience one of the most libertarian regions in the world.

But it doesn't look good.