The Umbrella Revolution: Does it parallel Tiananmen Square?

Written by: AnonWatcher

The situation in Hong Kong is fast running away from China. In what appears to be a battle of the wills, the running waters are much deeper, with plenty of snags under the tide to catch the drowning person.

Since the handover in 1997, Beijing has had 17 years to prove their worth of running a free and prosperous nation. But to those living there, the demands are on the doorstep. Two decades of economic reform are yet to deliver the ultimate political promise: freedom. The independent movement that is rising high throughout Hong Kong, threatens to undermine any remaining fabrication from Beijing. The pretense has been discovered, and countless voices are standing up to the sham. The people want the right to elect their leaders – freely and with due course.

Democratic processes in the middle of the city are forcing the real hand of the Beijing government. This is the crux of the standoff. Is the Hong Kong government able to control the situation without violence? The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may come into play to disperse the student protestors forcefully. If this occurs, the legitimacy of Beijing’s ‘social and economic growth’ will be undermined. At the best, the failure to undertake political reform will lead to a greater disillusionment with those who have suffered in the past: Tibet, Taiwan and Xinjiang. [1] 

The world will wait for Hong Kong’s fate. Will they follow along a similar path as the peripheries? This charade is now being challenged. Beijing is yet to discover any meaningful political tools to reform peacefully. In 1989, the world witnessed the horrific Tiananmen Square protests. The parallels are arguably present in the midst of the swelling protests. But how far will Beijing go to save face? Their untenable stance is about to crumble one way or another. Either they concede defeat to the people of Hong Kong and move on their current position, or they introduce the PLA troops to disperse the protestors for what the formal stance is “that the student-led protests are illegal and affect business.” Considering that the term Umbrella Revolution is blocked on China’s version of twitter, Beijing’s smaller actions against this difficult situation, are speaking with a heavy boot.[2]

I’ll leave you to think about the latest revolution.

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Sources:  

[1] Wu’er Kaixi (1 October 2014) “China Doesn’t Know How to Respond to Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution.” Theguardian.com http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/01/china-doesnt-know-how-respond-umbrella-revolution-hong-kong (Retrieved 6 October 2014)

[2]Huey Fern Tay (4 October 2014) “Umbrella Revolution: News Stories Buried, Social Media Censored as Authorities Try to Quell Hong Kong Protests.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-01/media-crackdown-on-umbrella-revolution-in-mainland-china/5783686 (Retrieved 6 October 2014)