“The things that China found irritating about Hong Kong started to become more prominent, and the things that it found attractive about Hong Kong started to be less prominent, and friction built up…
HONG KONG — When the British handed Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, it was promised 50 years of self-government and freedoms of assembly, speech and press that are not allowed on the Communist-ruled Chinese mainland.
FILE – A protester is detained by police during a demonstration against the extradition law in Hong Kong on Nov. 11, 2019. When the British handed its colony Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, it was promised 50 years of self-government and freedoms of assembly, speech and press that are not allowed Chinese on the Communist-ruled mainland. As the city of 7.4 million people marks 25 years under Beijing’s rule on Friday, those promises are wearing thin.
FILE – Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam leaves the stage after a news conference at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on Oct. 16, 2019. When the British handed its colony Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, it was promised 50 years of self-government and freedoms of assembly, speech and press that are not allowed Chinese on the Communist-ruled mainland. As the city of 7.4 million people marks 25 years under Beijing’s rule on Friday, those promises are wearing thin.
FILE – The “Pillar of Shame” statue, a memorial for those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, is removed from the University of Hong Kong on Dec. 23, 2021. When the British handed its colony Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, it was promised 50 years of self-government and freedoms of assembly, speech and press that are not allowed Chinese on the Communist-ruled mainland. As the city of 7.4 million people marks 25 years under Beijing’s rule on Friday, those promises are wearing thin.
Chan Po-ying, a 66-year-old veteran pro-democracy activist, poses for a photo during an interview in Hong Kong on June 20, 2022. When the British handed its colony Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, it was promised 50 years of self-government and freedoms of assembly, speech and press that are not allowed Chinese on the Communist-ruled mainland. As the city of 7.4 million people marks 25 years under Beijing’s rule on Friday, those promises are wearing thin.
FILE – A protester waves Hong Kong British colony flag during continuing pro-democracy rallies in Tamar Park, Hong Kong, on Sept. 3, 2019. When the British handed its colony Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, it was promised 50 years of self-government and freedoms of assembly, speech and press that are not allowed Chinese on the Communist-ruled mainland. As the city of 7.4 million people marks 25 years under Beijing’s rule on Friday, those promises are wearing thin.
Alex Siu, a building services engineer, was born in Hong Kong and only left in 2020 — his parents had ensured he’d have the option by getting him a British National Overseas passport years earlier. “The things that China found irritating about Hong Kong started to become more prominent, and the things that it found attractive about Hong Kong started to be less prominent, and friction built up over time,” he said.
The authorities cracked down and moved to stamp out dissent to help restore stability after the months long 2019 protests, he noted.
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