Around 20 years
ago, Hong Kong was a British Colony, and then in 1997, the city was returned to
China with two conditions. It was a policy known as one country, two systems,
where Hong Kong became a part of China, with some exceptions. There are many
more rights for the citizens than on the mainland, and Hong Kong also has its
own government. Citizens of Hong Kong are allowed freedom of speech, freedom of
the internet, and freedom of assembly, privileges the Chinese mainlanders do
not have. China promised these laws would stay in place until at least 2047,
but already some Hong Kong citizens feel as though their freedom is slipping
away.
Throughout June
this year, there have been many peaceful protests on the rights and freedoms of
Hong Kong citizens. The protests were started out of anger with the government
and Hong Kong citizens are trying to preserve their diminishing freedom.
Some protests
are working, such as ones on June 9th: The government was going to pass a bill
that would have allowed Hong Kong criminals to be sent to the mainland, but
they withdrew it after protests on June 9th. However, in the months leading up
to today, some protests have begun to turn violent as the government is
stubborn to bend to the will of the protesters. Some protesters believe
violence is the only way the government will listen to them, and their actions
have been followed with severe police brutality, including one man who was set
on fire.
Neither the
protesters nor the government seem to be willing to back down, even with
thousands of arrests, and most do not know how this will end.
Read this
article to answer these questions:
- Should the United States get involved with this issue? If so, who should they defend?
- Why do you think the Chinese government wants to take away the rights of Hong Kong citizens?
- Imagine if Boston was part of the United States but had more freedom and different rights that the rest of the country. How would you feel about that?
- Would you participate in the protests if you lived in Hong Kong, even with all the violence from other protesters and the police?
“Why Are People
Protesting in Hong Kong?” The New York Times, 13 Nov. 2019, www.nytimes.
com/2019/11/13/world/asia/hong-kong-protests.html?searchResultPosition=2.
Accessed 14 Nov. 2019.
1. In general, I think the United States should get involved in demographic movements, but there are several repercussions the United States could face. If the US decided to defend Hong Kong, it could destroy their relationship with China would be a very big deal. As stated in the article "It all comes amid a rancorous trade war between China and the United States" therefore saying that if the United States is willing to help the citizens of Hong Kong, the trade with China would be forever changed.
ReplyDelete2. I think that the Chinese government is attempting to take away rights from Hong Kong citizens to establish power over Hong Kong. China would potentially feel less powerless over Hong Kong and by taking away Hong Kong citizens' rights the Chinese government is demonstrating its power over Hong Kong.
3. If Boston was given more rights then the rest of the United States, I would feel that it was unfair that only Boston was given these rights. I think there would be a lot of protests across the country as to why only Boston was given these rights. The relationship between Boston and the rest of the United States would probably get significantly worse and cause outrage on both sides.
4. If I lived in Hong Kong I would peacefully protest. I think protesting is a crucial part of creating change and even if it gets violent I still need to show up for my country and show society I care.
1. I agree with Natalie that the US should support protestors but I think that the US should completely support them by giving them aid and sanctioning China. The protestors are fighting for their freedom from an oppressive dictatorship that wants to take away their rights. Many of the freedoms promised to Hong Kongers during the handover have been stripped away by the Chinese government. In response to these protests, “officers have liberally deployed tear gas in ways that defy international standards...Several protestors have been shot with live rounds,” not just restricting the freedoms of protestors but maiming them and in some cases killing them too. The US should not allow a dangerous, repressive, totalitarian state to strip its citizens of rights and kill them simply because of economic reasons. There is no moral justification for continuing trade and friendly relations with an immoral dictatorship. The United States should support the Hong Kong protests completely because they are protesting for their freedom against one of the worst human rights abusers of our time.
ReplyDelete2. China wants to take away the rights of Hong Kongers because China is a cruel totalitarian government that wants to consolidate power, and a free Hong Kong stands in the way of their road to dominance in East Asia. Hong Kong, as a former British colony, is a bastion of freedom under an otherwise oppressive umbrella of Chinese influence. China, as a dictatorship, needs total control, and they do not have full control over Hong Kong.
3. It is not a fair comparison to compare Hong Kong to a hypothetical USA where Boston has more rights because Hong Kong did not belong to China and was only given more rights because of stipulations in the handover treaty. If Boston was given more rights for no reason then it would be unfair, but in the situation of Hong Kong, it is completely fair that they have more rights than in mainland China because Hong Kong was given to China.
4. If I lived in Hong Kong, I would hope that I would have the will and courage to protest, but I probably wouldn’t. I don’t protest in America right now even though there are no consequences, so I doubt I would have the courage to participate in the protests in Hong Kong.
ReplyDelete1)I don't think the u.s should get involved. Although the U.S could help Hong Kong, it would destroy with their relationship with a more powerful country. In addition, if we were do defend Hong Kong our trading relationship with China would never be the same.
2)The Chinese government wants to take the rights away from the Hong Kong citizens to assert the power, and show how they are know controlled by them. Although this might not be the best thing to do, this is certainly what China is trying to do by removing Hong Kong citizens freedom.
3)If Boston had more freedom the rest of the states I would love it, and would strive to live their but, if i was from Vermont I would be jealous and start a protest so I get the same amount of freedom. So, their would be mixed emotions if this was actually going to occur.
4)If I lived in Hong Kong, I would try and protest but, it would be very difficult and scary. In the reading it said that I man was set on fire which makes me not wanting to protest. In addition, it seems like China isn't considering these ideas very well, so I would almost feel my protest mean nothing.
1, When deciding whether the U.S should get involved in this issue, it must consider the fact that China is one of the U.S.'s biggest trading partners and another nuclear power. Just last month, Houston Rockets GM tweeted his support for the Hong Kong movement. Little did he know, China took great offense to this and canceled all NBA games in China, and tearing down all the posters in a matter of hours. When Yao Ming first got drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2002, his first game had over 200 Million views in China compared to the 9 Million in the U.S. So siding with the protestors would cause a serious trade war, as well as devastating U.S. based companies as their biggest consumers, would be leaving. Although I think the U.S. should support the protestors I don't believe that the U.S should support its violence. Violence should never be the solution to a problem so I highly encourage that the protestors should discontinue their more violent practices. But China should also stop its police brutality. I don't think that this issue should be solved on the streets but instead be solved at the table with negotiations, (with the U.S. being involved).
ReplyDelete2, Because China is a communist state they want to control their people tightly so there will be no rebellion. Hong Kong is also becoming a bigger and bigger influence in the Chinese economy as its GDP accounts for a good portion of China's GDP, and China can not wait until 2047 when Hong Kong fully becomes a part of China. China has already built a bridge from Hong Kong and Macau trying to connect the regions into one huge metropolis from Macau to Guangdong to Shenzhen to Hong Kong. If China wants to become the next global superpower it needs Hong Kong with it.
3, If Boston had more rights than the rest of the U.S. than I would be happy. Although it would be unfair I would still be happy because I will feel more special and important than everyone else. Even if Boston had more rights though it would be an unfair comparison to the situation in Hong Kong. I completely agree with Bradford on this comparison, it is not a fair comparison.
4, If I lived in Hong Kong I would not violently protest. Like I stated before, I do not believe violence is the way to solve the problem. If I live in Hong Kong though I would still peacefully protest.
1. I agree with Natalie that the U.S. should get involved. Although it may cause certain problems with China, Hong Kong must be given what they were promised. The U.S. backing up Hong Kong could be greatly effective, considering the amount of power they have within the world.
ReplyDelete2. I think that, as Natalie said, it is a matter of power, as well as preserving what the Chinese believe a government should be. Allowing Hong Kong to continue living in ways which the Chinese don't agree, in a way shows China having less power over them. Also, China doesn't want to be seen as a country that allows freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, etc, which they feel is how they will be seen if they allow Hong Kong to continue with their ways.
3. If Boston had more rights than the rest of the U.S. I would feel lucky, as well as guilty. I would feel ashamed that I had access to certain rights which could provide me with a better life than others, even though we live in the same country.
4. I would participate in the protests. I think that it is important that the people of Hong Kong are provided with what they were promised. I would also be aware that protects tend to become violent but standing up for my country is important.
1. I agree with Natalie’s statement. Everyone deserves to have rights and the people in Hong Kong’s rights are clearly being violated. If this is the case, then I think that the U.S. should get involved since the Chinese government is doing nothing to address these problems. Although the U.S. would risk ruining relationships with China, people in Hong Kong are getting their rights taken away and some even being killed for protesting.
ReplyDelete2. China is trying to take away Hong Kong’s rights to have more power over the land and people. Along with this, China doesn’t have full power over Hong Kong so this is a way of demonstrating their control.
3. Everyone deserves equal rights, so if Boston had different types of rights than other parts of the U.S., then that would be an imbalance of power and unjust. Boston would be allowed to do more things than other states, and this would cause a lot of conflict from both Boston and other states.
4. I think that peaceful protests can be very influential and powerful, and if you really believe in something, you should definitely protest. Getting together with people who are all supporting a cause can be very moving, and lead to real change. However, since the protests got dangerous and can cost people their lives, I’d like to think that I’d have the courage and bravery to protest, but in reality, I don’t think I would be able to put myself at that risk.
1. I agree with Jemma I think the US should get involved to give them what was promised but I believe this could definitely cause a huge problem between China and the US. By getting involved this trade war may not be a trade war anymore but it might become a real war.
ReplyDelete2. I think the Chinese government is trying to take away Hong Kong's rights because they want to have power over Hong Kong. They already have power over all of China so if they are able to end the policy before 2047, this is definitely a signal of power.
3. If Boston had more rights than the rest of the country I would feel like this is unfair because I do not live in Boston. I would feel like we're repeating history like back in the 60s when Black people had less rights than White people.
4. I think I would participate but then again I am not in that position where I would have to make a decision like this. I feel like it would be very important to join these riots to speak out against the government but I also feel like I would be putting my life in danger. Also if I didn't do it I may still be putting my life on the line because the other protesters may consider me a pro- China person and maybe attack me like several have been attacked for being "pro-China".
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ReplyDelete1)I disagree with Natalie that the US should get involved in the protests. I strongly believe that the United States cannot condone the violent actions of either side. While I agree with Bradford that the police have broken basic rights of the protesters and responded with violence, the protesters have responded in violence as well. The Chinese Government has been known as a horribly oppressive abuser of basic human rights. If a peaceful protest was met with violence, the US should get fully involved and defend the protesters. But, unfortunately, this is not the case and the protests have gone beyond reasonable action. The protesters have stabbed police, used a variety of different bombs, and brutally beaten suspected opposition unconscious. According to CNN, the protesters murdered an elderly man with a brick and have been aimlessly shooting projectiles into the city streets. While this is no way justifies the government’s oppression, neither side’s actions can be condoned and involvement at this point would be a mistake.
ReplyDelete2)China has always been known to have an oppressive government that frequently disregards human rights. While terrible for its citizens, Chinese oppression has strengthened the government and its image of power. China will likely defend this oppression to continue its growth as an international power. In a democratic country like the US, such oppression would never be accepted by our governmental leaders and citizens. For the Chinese government to maintain control it is essential that they crackdown on any protests. This is where the drive for removal of rights comes from.
3)If Boston had more rights than the rest of the United States I would be fine with it. If the rights difference was really so dramatic than people should move to Boston and it seems foolish not to take advantage of my good fortune. I also can’t picture this ever happening in the United States so it is hard to relate.
4)I would not participate in the current protests. Standing up to the oppressive government of China would be extremely dangerous. Matters are only worsened by extreme violence on both sides. I would also feel extremely uncomfortable being associated with the acts of extremist protesters. I would, however, participate if the protests were peaceful.
1) I think that it is important that the U. S. is involved in these international issues but there are many repercussions. The U. S. would be taking a risk at destroying their relationship with China by helping the protesters. Like others have said; there is a trade war between China and the U.S., so if we did offer Hong Kong the support, we might ruin and make the situation worse than it already is - for both Hong Kong and the U.S.
ReplyDelete2) I think that it’s because China wants to have power over Hong Kong. It is stated in the article that Hong Kong split front the British Colony and went back to China, but still kept the liberties that they had had before...liberties that people on the mainland didn’t have. The Chinese government has a completely different view on the matter: they want to establish control over Hong Kong. China did promise that the “Basic Law” would be kept in place until at least 2047, but there are protesters because that it all beginning to come crashing down for the citizens. They want their freedom, and China wants its power.
3) I feel that if Boston had more power than the rest of the states, it wouldn’t be just. We are a unified community and because of that we should have our fair share of rights. There might also be many protests (just like there is between Hong Kong and China) and our society would come crashing down because not everyone could agree on the rights between the different states.
4) If I lived in Hong Kong, I wouldn’t participate in the violent protests but hopefully I would feel determines to participate in the peaceful ones. I think that it’s hard to put myself in the shoes of the protesters because I have never experienced what they are currently having to deal with. I would hope that something good would come out of protesting peacefully and with words. There will always be people against others ways, and I think it’s important to determine when we’ve crossed the line with one another.
1. The United States should take part in the protest that the citizens of Hong Kong have started against the Chinese government. I agree with Leo’s disclaimer that China is the U.S.’ main trade partner, and if the U.S. decides to part sides with Hong Kong, it may seem like betrayal to China. But that might be the only repercussion besides the threat of war against China and their allies. Although it may cause conflict to go against China’s action, it makes the U.S. look better, and it may open up new trade and ally relationships with other countries including Hong Kong for example.
ReplyDelete2. The Chinese government wants to take away the rights of the Hong Kong government to demonstrate their supremacy over the citizens of Hong Kong. The Chinese government also viewed the protests as a challenge to its intense nationalism. They believe that if the citizens in Hong Kong succeed in getting their message out, it could possibly affect the people of China and cause conflict within China or even lead to citizens leaving the country.
3. If Boston had different rights than the rest of the United States, I wouldn’t mind, as long as it had fair rights. And it may seem a little unfair if Boston had better rights than other states, but then again, people in those other states could move to Boston if the differences in rights is that drastic.
4. I would participate in the protests if I lived in Hong Kong even with the violence, because it demonstrates empathy and justice. It is also the right thing to do, even if it does have its downfalls.
I think the United States could get involved with the issue, but only with the knowledge of future outcomes and relationships with China. The United States should defend Hong Cong to a certain point of helping them protest but preventing the violence. Although the U.S. could help, they would still have to know the consequences of interfering with this issue.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese government probably wants to take away the rights of Hong Kong citizens because Hong kong was given by England and wasn’t original Chinese property. China wants to seem more superior to Hong Kong. This is for the same reason Jemma and Natalie mentioned, that China doesn’t want Hong Kong to surpass them in power.
Since I am from Boston, I would enjoy the freedom and rights that I had but I would feel guilty of having that power that others don’t. I would feel better if rights were distributed throughout the whole country giving people equal opportunities and freedom to do what pleases them.
I would definitely participate in a protest for Hong Kong’s freedom by marching or speaking out on the issue, but I wouldn’t start or participate in any violent protest and I would be against them.
Aaron Rai
ReplyDelete1.) I do not think that the U.S. should get militaristically involved by China. However, I wholeheartedly agree with Bradford that we should sanction China for their Human rights violations. I disagree with many on this list that the US should shy away from intervention if it should hit the US with temporary detriment. I am all for free-market capitalism but our individual ideological stances, and those of the people in Hong Kong, should not fall victim to the whims of our companies. I think that we should really harden trade talks with China and do everything we can to limit China's power, lest we end up with another Soviet Union type crisis. This not only means protecting Hong Kong with our policy, but preventing harmful Communist and Socialist ideologies from spreading in the world and on local soil.
2.) To understand why China wants to strip rights from Hong Kong, we should look to the basis of human nature. Humans want to obtain money and power. Humans will bully, steal, cheat and kill to keep or gain power, and China has done all four. Communist governments only work when they have complete control of what people do and think. Communism and the Chinese government is not based on God or the great thinkers of Athens, the Chinese government only knows control, not freedom. That is why they are enraged by Hong Kong. Eventually, I believe in our lifetimes, the People’s Republic of China will dissolve. The Chinese Government will do everything it can, such as enforcing its tyranny on Hong Kong, to prolong its slow death by asserting as much control as possible.
3.) This question needs cross-examination to provide a substantial answer. For one, I could not imagine anymore “rights” the Boston could have. Healthcare, education and welfare are commonly referred to as “rights” which are really commodities. If the Government were to provide additional commodities for Boston I would advocate against it. Secondly, the government does not “give” rights, rights are granted which means that the government would not recognize the rights of some of its citizens vs the others for a reason as trivial as geological location. I once again agree with Bradford that Hong Kong and Boston is not a fair comparison.
4.) I would protest in Hong Kong if my rights were taken away, violent or non-violent. However, I disagree with Nicole about peaceful protests in Communist China. Peaceful protests didn’t work in the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre where several thousand people died. They didn’t work in the 1959 Tibetan uprising where 87,000 people died. It’s definitely not going to work in Hong Kong. In the immortal words of Patrick Henry “Give me liberty, or give me death!”
1. I think that the U.S. should not get involved, but not on any particular side. I agree with David in the fact that we should not encourage violence within the protests. I also agree with Natalie that the rights of the people in Hong Kong are being challenged illegally, and that is also not okay. I believe that the U.S. should force the government to give the people of Hong Kong their rights, which they should have in the first place. If the U.S. made the Chinese government give the citizens their rights it would also (hopefully) stop the violent protests.
ReplyDelete2. I think the reason behind the Chinese government wanting to take the citizens rights' away is paranoia. I think that the Chinese government is worried about some sort of rebellion forming if it gives the citizens too much freedom. This theory is a paradox because the more restrictive the government is the more likely the citizens are to protest, which would make the government even more restrictive.
3. The situations are different. Hong Kong was never really part of China, so it would only make sense that it had separate laws, restrictions, and rights. However, that being said, I would feel privileged and lucky (if living in Boston).
4. I would participate in the protests, but try to remain as peaceful as possible.