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Today we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Mbadacre in Beijing. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people lost their lives when the army mobilized against student protesters. The event was commemorated in Hong Kong, one of the few places in China where this can be done openly.
Hong Kong was a British colony until 1997, when the British government entrusted it to Beijing.
The agreement provided that it would continue to operate almost independently under a hybrid system called "One Country, Two Systems".
So, even if Beijing does not like that, it must authorize these protests, because it was the agreement reached with the United Kingdom in 1997, when the "Basic Law" was signed, Hong Kong's mini-constitution Article 27 states Hong Kong residents have freedom of speech, press and publication; freedom of badociation, badembly, procession and demonstration; and the right and freedom to form and join trade unions and to strike. "
But over the decades, things have changed.
"Year after year, we hear that Beijing is putting pressure behind the scenes," said Claudia Mo, a member of the directly elected Hong Kong legislature.
"They tell the organizers, or people who are close to the organizers, to forget to organize the events. But then, the Hong Kong people remain firm, "and the annual commemorations still take place.
This year, in addition to the traditional meeting in Victoria Park, there were kite demonstrations, reminiscent of times when people could freely travel to Tiananmen Square to fly kites and a marathon.
But it's not the 30th anniversary that will attract more people than usual, says Mo.
"We are fighting a Chinese law on extradition that will subject Hong Kong to Chinese law," she said.
"And that goes against Beijing's" one country, two systems "formula that guarantees semi-autonomy in Hong Kong.
When London returned Hong Kong to Beijing in 1997, extradition rules excluded China "very deliberately", Mo said.
Because the Hong Kong people feared that a fair trial would be impossible in the Chinese courts.
A deep-seated fear during the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, less than ten years before Hong Kong changed hands.
"It's supposed to be a backup, a firewall against that fear.
"But now, the Hong Kong government, obviously on the Beijing order, calls it a loophole in the law. And they try to support him. Which means that Hong Kong could be extradited to China when Beijing wants it, "Mo said.
In practice, this would mean that any person sought by Beijing, including foreigners living or crossing the territory, may be deported if the Chinese authorities require it, Mo added.
Tiananmen commemorations in Hong Kong began at 8:00 pm local time with a candlelight vigil. The number of participants was estimated by the organizers at one hundred eighty thousand. The police counted 37,000 participants.
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