Hong Kong Residents Slowly Lose Freedom to Chinese Government

Hong Kong is a region of China that used to be a British protectorate. It was handed over to the Chinese on July 1, 1997. At the time, Chinese officials promised that although Hong Kong would be part of China, the land would be governed under a different system. Hong Kong residents would have more freedom, both in the economic realm and in freedom of speech. China has recently confiscated a statue that protests the 1989 standoff in Tiananmen Square. For Hong Kong residents, this sets a dangerous precedent. If China can curtail freedom of speech in this one instance, they can take away more freedoms that Hong Kong residents currently enjoy.

The Tiananmen Statue's Confiscation

On May 29th, Chinese officials confiscated the statue called "Goddess of Democracy". The original statue was assembled in Tiananmen Square beginning May 29th, and was completed on May 30th. It featured a Chinese woman holding a torch; although it resembled the statue of liberty, the creators said that it was modeled after a different statue, Worker and Kolkhoz Woman by Vera Mukhina. The statue stood for five days, and was destroyed by Chinese troops on June 4, 1989. Replicas of the Goddess of Democracy can be seen throughout the world, including Washington D.C. and British Columbia. The statue that was confiscated on May 29th in Hong Kong resembled the Statue of Liberty more closely than the original Goddess of Democracy. This statue not only held a torch, it held a book with "Liberty", "Democracy", and "Justice" written on it.

Police Actions

In addition to taking down the statue that protestors put up in a shopping mall, the police arrested 13 activists, citing them for interfering with police work. The official explanation for the removal of the statue was that individuals did not obtain a license to put it up. Normally, residents of Hong Kong have the right to protest. The statue was put up to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident. Thousands of residents usually attend a candlelight vigil in the territory on June 4th.

A Sign of Things to Come?

Some critics of the Hong Kong government believe that Beijing is pressuring the Hong Kong government to crack down on some of the freedoms that residents enjoy, but mainland Chinese do not. China has increased in power and wealth over the last several years. It has been buying up gold and other resources, and has been encouraging its residents to buy gold as well. The Western nations are struggling financially, and would not be in a position to do anything if China did decide to crack down heavily on the freedoms of Hong Kong residents. This could result in a slippery slope where the Chinese government continues to erode their freedoms, with nobody doing anything about it.

Sources:

"Goddess of Democracy". Wikipedia.

"Hong Kong". Wikipedia.

Lee, Min. "Hong Kong Police Confiscate Tiananmen Statue". Yahoo News, 29 May 2010.