Incomplete Lunar New Year in Hong Kong

(Baonghean.vn) - One of China's two special administrative regions, Hong Kong, is experiencing escalating conflict and authorities have confirmed that it is indeed a riot. This can be seen as a long slide of deep conflicts that have existed since 2014.

The 2016 Lunar New Year seems to have been missed by Hong Kong residents in some of the busiest areas, with many of them having to endure terrible days right from the last day of the Year of the Goat.

Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying warned of the possibility of renewed protests.

At the moment when families in Asian countries (including China) are gathering to celebrate the traditional Lunar New Year, a major violence broke out in Hong Kong. The “opening fire” took place at around 10pm on February 8 (December 29, the last day of the year of the Goat 2015).

In response to the police clearing illegal street vendors to brighten up the streets during the Chinese New Year, some residents threw hard objects at the police officers. Hong Kong police used batons and tear gas to control the situation and create a conflict.

The crowd resisted the police more and more violently, with actions such as lighting fires, shouting, attracting more and more people to join and erupting into a riotous protest against the Special Administrative Region Government.

By the morning of February 9 (the first day of the Lunar New Year), several urban areas in Hong Kong were locked down. It is known that the place where the riots that lasted throughout the New Year's Eve also took place was the same place where the riots demanding full democratic elections took place in 2014.

To ensure security, the special administrative region government strongly condemned and responded with special forces. In particular, the police had to use guns and special means of suppression, resulting in 48 people being injured. The police also arrested 24 people in the riot.

The unusual incident occurred on the traditional Chinese New Year, the most sacred day in the spiritual life of people in the region celebrating Lunar New Year, showing that the conflicts in Hong Kong society are still very serious and ready to erupt into violence and riots at any time.

The 2016 riots were reminiscent of the horrors that befell Hong Kong in 2014 when the Chinese government promised that Hong Kong's 2017 leadership election would be free but candidates would need to be approved by a committee.

Beijing's requirement that "candidates be approved by a committee" is said to have taken away full electoral freedom and sparked two months of historic street protests that paralyzed much of the city's operations.

The Chinese government’s commitment that candidates for Hong Kong’s leadership must be approved by a committee has raised deep concerns that this is “the fox’s first paw in the chicken coop”, one of the steps towards “deprivation of freedom” in this special administrative region of about 260 islands.

This incident also recalls that in the middle of the night on July 1, 1997, when Hong Kong was officially handed over to China, no longer a British territory, about 10% of Hong Kong people migrated to other countries for fear of having to live under Chinese rule.

Obviously, the fear of being “ruled” has become a big “hint” for every Hong Kong citizen. Therefore, any political move from the Chinese government towards the Hong Kong special administrative region is of utmost concern and is not easy to implement if it has the color of increasing control and imposition.

For these reasons, the contradictions in Hong Kong society are still at risk of lasting and the risk of conflict can occur at any time, even during the sacred traditional New Year holidays!

Chi Linh Son