For those who concern about student strike in Hong Kong now: The confrontation with Beijing has moved the territory to the front lines of the battle for democratic rights in China since a government clampdown silenced much dissent on the mainland. Since Hong Kong was returned by Britain to Chinese rule in 1997, it has enjoyed considerable legal autonomy under the “one country, two systems” formula, in which Hong Kong residents retained rights not available elsewhere in China. Last month, the Chinese legislature proposed election rule changes for Hong Kong. Starting in 2017, they would allow residents to vote directly for the leader of the city’s government, the chief executive, but a nominating committee dominated by pro-Beijing loyalists would be used to restrict how many and which candidates could enter the contest.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 02:44:35 +0000