Letters | Why Hong Kong protesters must fight for greater rights, not just to protect what they have
- The shelving of the extradition bill has been celebrated by some as a victory, but it is not enough to stop the erosion of civil rights in Hong Kong
A decade ago, scholars including political scientist Sonny Lo Shiu-Hing noted that our city was increasingly politically influenced by, and economically dependent on, mainland China. At the time, however, the core values of Hong Kong – high autonomy and the rule of law – remained very strong. Hongkongers believed they deserved the right to select their own chief executive, and were striving for universal suffrage.
Although both the national education and extradition proposals have been suspended due to public pressure, it is plausible that Beijing will continue to tighten the space for our civil rights and freedom.
This worries me. We are so focused on defending what is ours that we may not remember to strive for rights like universal suffrage, which is our deserved right under “one country, two systems”.
Even if our civil liberties – in the form of social, economic, political and legal autonomy and freedom – are not further eroded, we should always remember that Hong Kong people deserve the maximisation of civil rights.
Jason Hung, London