Hong Kong is bracing for its
largest protest in more than a decade after nearly 800,000 voted for full
democracy in an unofficial referendum, a move likely to stoke anti-China
sentiment in the former British colony. – Al Jazeera
The vigil night on June 4, to
mark the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Protests and the Tiananmen Massacre,
yet again reaffirmed the hope that in spite of China ’s efforts to suppress the
voices of protests demanding political reforms and more space to democracy,
they refuse to die.
And just within a month of
landmark protests of the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre
(drawing around 2 Lakh protesters, largest since 1989 in Hong Kong), another landmark
day comes, when the autonomous island of Hong Kong is scheduled to have its
annual handover day march, tomorrow, on July 1, that is to begin from the
iconic Victoria Park, the epicenter of the huge June 4 protests.
Reports like this Al Jazeera
one say more than half-a-million are expected to march tomorrow to protest the
increasing Chinese interference in the ‘autonomous’ character of Hong Kong.
China’s autocratic regime cannot
act ruthlessly in Hong King, the former British colony that was handed over to
China in 1997 with clear terms and conditions on its autonomy (one country, two
systems), as it does in the mainland, crushing every voice of dissent.
But, the Communist Party machinery
to manipulate the opinion and sabotage the ‘democratic’ character of Hong Kong is
getting more and more involved and subversive for the Hong
Kong residents to take it anymore.
Residents of the city island are
protesting the Chinese mainland shadow on their civil liberties and are
demanding the ‘full electoral’ freedom and a free election in 2017 while the
mainland government is doing all to make it go it the mainland way.
Almost 10% of the Hong Kong
residents have signed the ‘unofficial’ (but can anything, even remotely related
to democracy, be official in China?) referendum (for full democracy) and the
world is looking forward to watch some spectacular protest visuals again, after
the June 4 pro-Tiananmen move, in one of the most oppressive regimes.
