The Hong Kong Protests
HONG KONG - Students unite to fight for a cause: obtaining universal suffrage.
During winter break, I had the opportunity to visit the protest sites in Hong Kong. Throughout the journey, I interacted with locals, took pictures, and made insightful observations. I witnessed the protest firsthand, offering striking insight into the local sentiment. When I arrived, I was nonpartisan. I thought it was beneficial to evaluate the protest prior to forming a conclusion; however, I remained ambivalent through my reconnaissance. From one standpoint, the businessmen avowed that protesters were disturbing the economy. On the other hand, students believed that the government had failed to ensure representation. What could be attributed to their dissatisfaction? According to the locals, China had recently administered policies to the dissenting capitalist citizens. China enjoined an economic merger with their country, along with nulling the citizens’ right to vote for a leader. Previously, China assured universal suffrage in Hong Kong’s next election. On reexamination, they decided that the Chief Executive must be selected from within a small group of candidates. After gaining insight on the locals’ perspective, I began to comprehend why citizens, even those my age, had such vehement objections. I captured sights in photographs, revealing an essence of enmity. 50 police officers gazed at me as I walked and I soon wondered, what did they think? Their job was to enforce safety, yet surely they must have a perspective. The government should offer an accurate portrayal of the citizens’ views, and Hong Kong has not succeeded in epitomizing this. This political issue will be resolved in due course, and soon, this will be a chapter in international history.
By: Thomas Sze
Edited by: Madeleine Liu
During winter break, I had the opportunity to visit the protest sites in Hong Kong. Throughout the journey, I interacted with locals, took pictures, and made insightful observations. I witnessed the protest firsthand, offering striking insight into the local sentiment. When I arrived, I was nonpartisan. I thought it was beneficial to evaluate the protest prior to forming a conclusion; however, I remained ambivalent through my reconnaissance. From one standpoint, the businessmen avowed that protesters were disturbing the economy. On the other hand, students believed that the government had failed to ensure representation. What could be attributed to their dissatisfaction? According to the locals, China had recently administered policies to the dissenting capitalist citizens. China enjoined an economic merger with their country, along with nulling the citizens’ right to vote for a leader. Previously, China assured universal suffrage in Hong Kong’s next election. On reexamination, they decided that the Chief Executive must be selected from within a small group of candidates. After gaining insight on the locals’ perspective, I began to comprehend why citizens, even those my age, had such vehement objections. I captured sights in photographs, revealing an essence of enmity. 50 police officers gazed at me as I walked and I soon wondered, what did they think? Their job was to enforce safety, yet surely they must have a perspective. The government should offer an accurate portrayal of the citizens’ views, and Hong Kong has not succeeded in epitomizing this. This political issue will be resolved in due course, and soon, this will be a chapter in international history.
By: Thomas Sze
Edited by: Madeleine Liu