Since late September, Hong Kong students and civilians have occupied the streets of the Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, and Admiralty districts, resisting police and anti-Occupy action in an attempt to initiate political reform. The protests, also known as the Umbrella Movement, began as a result of the Chinese National People’s Congress’s (NPC) August announcement that it would allow direct elections in 2017 for the Hong Kong Chief Executive, but that voters would only be able to choose from a list of pre-approved candidates. Currently, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive is appointed by the Chinese government.
However, this decision for a party list election follows a 2007 NPC announcement that “the election of the fifth Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the year 2017 may be implemented by the method of universal suffrage” (npc.gov.cn). According to an article from CNN, the student protestors’ demand is to bring “real universal suffrage and real democracy” to Hong Kong.
Students have been a large force behind the protests. Among one of the key student leaders is Joshua Wong, an 18-year-old high school student. Wong founded and currently leads Scholarism, a pro-democracy student activist group and has been arrested at least twice during the course of the protests. As of Dec. 1, Wong and two others are currently on a hunger strike that, according to Wong, will only end when the Chinese government agrees to meet with Scholarism to discuss the possibility of political reform (cnn.com). The Hong Kong Federation of Students has also been actively involved.
While the students in Hong Kong continue in their quest for democracy, one can only wonder about the viewpoints of mainland Chinese students. No offshoot movements have begun in mainland China as a result of the Hong Kong protests. The following interviews are from juniors at a private Chinese school that has an English curriculum track for those who want to take SATs/ACTs for admittance to international colleges instead of taking China’s college entrance exam. The interviews were conducted via Skype chat. It should also be noted that their families are from Taiwan.
B. Fu is currently a high school junior in Shanghai and has a sister who is attending college in Hong Kong.
The Advocate: What’s your opinion on the Hong Kong student protests?
B. Fu: Our school is rather international so we don’t really have strong feelings for China’s decisions. China has been doing a good job degrading the severity. The government also banned Instagram soon after the protests began, possibly trying to minimize the influence of pictures of protesters on people in China. I think that the Hong Kong protests are quite severe because of how violent they are, but I think that Hong Kong should back down because China definitely won’t be backing down anytime soon.
TA: How does your sister feel about the protests? Is she out there protesting?
BF: My sister isn’t out there protesting, but she definitely sees how China is trying to turn the people of Hong Kong against the protesters.
TA: How so?
BF: There have been transportation blocks, which result in lots of inconvenience, but even so, she still believes that Hong Kong should continue.
Y. Shen is currently a high school junior in Shanghai.
TA: What’s your opinion on the Hong Kong student protests?
Y. Shen: I think I might disappoint you in something because I barely know anything on the Hong Kong Protest. All I know is that China blocked Yahoo, Google, and Instagram to prevent us from learning about the Hong Kong Protest. Sorry.
TA: So do any kids talk about the protests at [school]?
YS: Nope. We just get pissed at the Chinese government for banning our beloved Instagram.
TA: What about the idea of the government denying the Hong Kong residents their promise for free elections though?
YS: I didn’t know anything about this. But if that’s what they are doing, it’s only going to make things worse.
TA: So do you guys know why the students are protesting?
YS: LOL nope.
TA: Do you hear about it in the news?
YS: Yeah…and I learned more about it when they banned Instagram.
TA: What does the news say?
YS: Sorry I’m not sure. Sorry. Something about elections and a bunch of riots happening and people getting hurt.
J. Chu is currently a high school junior in Shanghai.
TA: What’s your opinion on the current Hong Kong student protests?
J. Chu: To be honest… I don’t know have much knowledge on this Hong Kong thing. I didn’t dig deep into it. I’ll answer with my limited knowledge: I think the Chinese government is abusing its power way over the boundaries. I feel bad for the protesters in Hong Kong who seek democracy for their nation.
Read The Advocate’s opinion article on the Hong Kong student protests, here.
