For several weeks now, the citizens of Hong Kong have been demonstrating against China's creeping takeover of this once free island state. But China's patience is going thin and with the arrest of many of the demonstration leaders. But it may be escalating rapidly since the demonstrations haven't subsided much--if at all. The protestors "beef" is China's new policy of vetting political candidates by Beijing that began five years ago and then, just recently attempting to allow extradition to the mainland. The concern is increasingly growing that China is stifling public dissent, interfering with local politics, and eroding human rights in Hong Kong. GEEEE! I just can't imagine why they would worry about Communists not keeping their word! How dare they! By the way, Hong Kong citizens don't have a Second Amendment but it's one of the reasons our Founding Fathers created one for us.
A bit of history here: July, 1997 was the end of an era when the United Kingdom lowered over Hong Kong and the U-K's most prosperous colony was returned to China after more than 150 years of British rule. The Brits had held the colony since 1841after they defeated China in the First Opium War where China agreed to cede the island of Hong Kong to the British in perpetuity through the Treaty of Nanjing. The final treaty came in 1898 with the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory which leased what was called the "New Territories" which had been obtained over the previous 50 years. Britain now had control over Hong Kong for the next 99 years and under the terms of the treaty China would regain control on July 1, 1997.
When China became Communist in 1949 over 100,000 Chinese fled to Hong Kong and their capitalist philosophy started an economic boom (as it always does) becoming a true multicultural international community. But time waits for no man or no treaty and as expiration loomed, separating the "New Territories" from Hong Kong was not thinkable. Discussion about Hong Kong's future between the U-K and China in the late 1970s and finally in 1984, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and China's premier Zhao Ziyang signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Under the agreement China would allow Hong Kong some political and social autonomy through what was called "one country, two systems" policy for 50 years. So If my math is right--and it is--that comes out to 2034. According to the calendar I have, we still have almost four months left in 2019 over 14 years before the 1984 agreement is dissolved.
But the word of a Communist is about as valuable as the proverbial $3 bill. Their attitude is "what's mine is mine and what's yours is negotiable." The "Joint Declaration" was supposed to give Hong Kong its own "mini constitution," legal system and some other rights like free speech and freedom of assembly under its Basic Law. But Communism is cancer that will not tolerate alternatives just like the cancer cells in your body don't just keep to themselves. Five years ago (2014) elections were conducted in Hong Kong using a list of candidates vetted by Beijing and now there's the attempt to allow extradition to the mainland for trials. This has led to the mass protests over increasing concerns that China is stifling public dissent, interfering in local politics and eroding human rights in Hong Kong. What's interesting is that these protestors are quite pro-American and waiving American flags unlike the Antifa scumbags over here waving anything but.
You may find this hard to believe but China's record on human rights and power abuse stinks on ice! In an article on the website www.godsavethepoints.com It concerns the Hong Kong based airline Cathay Pacific. China's Scary Crackdown on Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Flight Crews should run chills up your spine. China is now banning any member of a flight crew it sees ans an adversary. Quoting from the article: The demands include flight crew manifests delivered in advance for approval, as well as bans for any Hong Kong crew members the People's Republic of China deems to have been in support of the movements in Hong Kong. The move comes after Cathay Pacific staff were found to be engaging in violent elements of the Hong Kong protests, an issue which has alarmed authorities in Beijinjg, as well as Cathay passengers in the city who fear that the protests now boarder on the extreme and apparently worry about the mindset of these crew members operating flights.
The article goes on to point the obvious--the vague term of "supporting" means the paranoid Chinese thugs can prosecute someone they "think" supports the protestors can be prosecuted IN CHINA without merit. And now this opens the door for manifests for every flight have to be submitted to the powers-that-be in Beijing. And--get this--Beijing is now threatening to bar flights from entering Chinese airspace, just because the pilot who does not live in China may have "liked" something on social media. rMeanwhile, China is saying, "No more 'Mr. Nice Guy' when it comes to the protesters and knowing they have as little regard for human life as Planned Parenthood, so don't think for a minute that it's not possible for Chinese Army soldiers to open fire on their own citizens. Rather than engage in dialog with Hong Kong, China would prefer to crush them. You might want to cross Hong Kong off your bucket list.