Thousands march for Democracy in Hong Kong and freedom from China
DHARAMSALA, Jan 2: Thousands of demonstrators took part in the annual-pro democracy march in Hong Kong demanding democracy and independence from China.
As many as 5,500 people marched in Hong Kong on Tuesday to demand full democracy, fundamental rights, and even independence from China, The Telegraph reported.
According to the report, The New Year’s day march included calls to restart stalled democratic reforms and to fight “political repression” from Beijing.
“Looking back at the year that passed, it was a very bad year … The rule of law in Hong Kong is falling backwards,” Jimmy Sham, one of the organizers was quoted as saying in the report.
Around 100 independence activists have reportedly taken part in the islands annual democracy march and demanded the city to split from China while a Tibetan flag can be also sighted being carried by a protester.
“There will be continuous suppression on the Hong Kong independence movement, but the movement will grow stronger and stronger,” Baggio Leung, an independence activist and a politician has said in the report.
Last year, the clampdown by the Communist regime in Hong Kong saw the jailing of activists, a ban on a pro-independence political party, the de facto expulsion of a Western journalist and barring democracy activists from contesting local elections has prompted both the US and Britain to voice their concerns as they say these incidents have undermined confidence in Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy under Chinese rule.
Hong Kong, a former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula, that promised a high degree of autonomy and universal suffrage as an “ultimate aim”.
