Widespread Hong Kong protest expected
HONG KONG: Prodemocracy activists in Hong Kong were expecting tens of thousands of people to attend an annual protest rally last night to mark the 21st anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule as tensions simmer over Beijing’s tightening grip.
Turnout was expected to be a key indicator of public sentiment at a time when the opposition in Hong Kong has seen activists jailed and others barred from running in a byelection.
An organiser of last night’s protest, Sammy Ip, said the rally would not target Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam but focus on a broad push against Beijing’s perceived encroachment into the former British colony.
At a ceremony early yesterday to mark the anniversary, chief executive Lam asserted that the ‘‘one country, two systems’’ framework under which the financial hub is governed remained intact.
Lam took over as governor of the former British colony a year ago, pledging at a ceremony attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping to be accountable to both Beijing and Hong Kong.
‘‘Without fear, we correctly deal with our relationship with the central government. And we promote a stronger understanding of the constitution, the Basic Law, and national security in all sectors,’’ Lam said.
Under the miniconstitution, the Basic Law, Hong Kong is guaranteed wideranging autonomy for ‘‘at least 50 years’’ after 1997 under a ‘‘one country, two systems’’ formula praised by Xi. It also specifies universal suffrage as an eventual goal.