Beijing increasingly inflexible in its attitude towards the former British colony and for the first time uses the term "radical separatists". The demand of referendum is still ignored and risk of social unrest grows.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - The Hong Kong government says an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the unrest on the first day of Chinese New Year in Mong Kok, the business area of Hong Kong is “unnecessary”. Over 30 scholars initiated the petition to investigate the unrest.
Conflict broke out that authorities intended to clear the street vendors in Mong Kok during Spring Festival, in the past years government was lenient and kept blind eyes. The conflict soon escalated to serious violence since the leftist riot in 1967. Police shot two warning shots into the air during the protest.
Dixon Sing Ming (成名), the associate professor of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, who was one of the cosigner of the petition for investigation, told local newspaper Apple Daily that Hong Kong appeared to be semi-democratic but it turned more autocratic. He said the there was not much improvement since 1960s.
Activists call the protest Fishball Revolution because fishball is the popular food sold by street vendors. Beijing poses rare tough attitude and official media call the protesters rioters. 37 people were charged with rioting which would lead to 10 years in jail at most.
People's Daily, the mouthpiece of Communist Party, describe the protesters "radical separatists" for the first time, the term was confined for Tibet and Xinjiang. People's Daily accused Civic Party and Scholarism endorsing the "rioters".
Last Friday, Zhang Xiaoming, the head of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong, which is the representative agency of central government called the protesters "jobless villains" and "radical separatists with terrorism tendency".
Yesterday, three representatives of Hong Kong Federation of Students were refused boarding the flight to Beijing, they were told that their travel documents were revoked as well. Carrie Lam, Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong Government said Beijing had already known the demand of universal suffrage and it was unnecessary to petition to Beijing.
After the end of Occupy Central, the social discount is still simmering. Calls for autonomy even independence grow. It is reported that the arrested demonstrators included the members of Hong Kong Indigenous. The debate on the construction of high speed railway reflects the prevailing fear. In addition, the disappearance of five missing bookshop staff raised people's concern.
International banking giant HSBC abandons the plan to move its headquarters to Hong Kong after 10-month review, observers say it implies that the group lacks confidence on the future of Hong Kong.