Hong Kong students arrested for protesting against China’s draconian law: Top diplomats condemn erosion of media freedom in Asia’s financial hub

China’s involvement in Hong Kong has taken away all the democratic rights the citizens of the Island including the right to protest. Three young protestors, Joshua Wong, Ivan Lam and Agnes Chow were remanded into police custody after they pleaded guilty for inciting violence during the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in the previous year. Pleading guilty was their tactics to reduce the punishment. Law officials say that the three protestors could be sentenced to a 3-year term in prison. Meanwhile, top western envoys wrote an op-ed in the South China morning post warning the global community about the rising risks for the journalists working in Hong Kong.

The western envoys include the representatives of the US, UK, Canada and Australia. They wrote that the problems in Hong Kong were created following the imposition of “vaguely defined” national security law by mainland China. The security forces had been using tear gases and rubber bullets on the protestors from the past one year. Over 20,000 pro-democracy protestors were arrested and courtrooms are filled with such cases.

Before the beginning of Trial Wong told the reporters that “We will continue to fight for freedom – and now is not the time for us to kowtow to Beijing and surrender”. On his way to the prison following the Court’s decision to send him to custody, Wong shouted “Everyone hangs in there. I know it’s tougher for you to remain out there. Add oil!” Add oil is a phrase for encouragement in Cantonese.

Opposition lawmakers are currently disqualified and elections are not being held in Hong Kong. Many of the critics have stated that China wants to erode Hong Kong’s economic power and replace the city with Shanghai on the mainland.