By Pauline Kelly, Campaigner with Amnesty International in Scotland

AT midnight on June 30, 1997, I stood in torrential rain surrounded by thousands of people watching as the Union Flag was lowered and replaced by the flag of the People’s Republic of China, an action that marked the end of British colonial rule in Hong Kong, now to be known as a Special Administrative Region of China (SAR).

Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow are unlikely to have memories of that evening – both were less than a year old – but that flag ceremony and events that followed would have a significant impact on their lives; they grew up to become the symbolic leaders of the 2014 Hong Kong student protests that sewed the seeds of civil unrest which continue in the unprecedented protests of the last four months.

It is difficult to convey the collective emotion felt on that evening in 1997; many of my friends who were born in Hong Kong shared their fears for what the new era would mean – they did not speak specifically about repression of human rights but had heard stories from their parents, many of whom had fled Mainland China after the People’s Republic was formed in 1949. Tomorrow, China prepares to celebrate National Day – marking 70 years since the inception of the People’s Republic of China. This is an anniversary which will no doubt trigger horrific memories for some and heighten fears that Hong Kong is sliding into the repressive style of rule seen in mainland China.

In 1997, the British Government was firm that the rule of law would be preserved and Hong Kong would retain a high degree of autonomy under the “one country, two systems” agreement, at least for the 50 years after reunification with China. Less than 20 years passed before protestors took to the streets to demand full democracy culminating in the violent scenes that have featured on news broadcasts since June this year. The protests were initially in response to the proposed controversial Extradition Bill, a move by Hong Kong authorities that Amnesty International says is indicative of a steady erosion of human rights in the region and shows the creeping influence of Beijing’s repressive policies.

Along with increasingly heavy-handed policing and inaction to protect protesters from violence by others, the Hong Kong authorities have misused laws and regulations to harass and prosecute individuals including student activists Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow. The rights to freedom of expression and association have repeatedly come under attack, with more than 100 people prosecuted for peaceful activism since 2014.

However, the repression of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong began long before the announcement of the Extradition Bill. In 2017, China’s President Xi Jinping set out a “red line” on Hong Kong aimed at “any attempt to endanger China’s sovereignty or security, challenge the power of the Chinese government, or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland”. The Chinese authorities have increasingly interpreted the ordinary exercise of rights as crossing this “red line” and the Hong Kong government has adopted these tactics, breaching the tenets of its international human rights obligations.

Amnesty International condemned the often violent and disproportionate police response to the Extradition Bill protests and urges Hong Kong authorities to listen to the demands of millions of protesters and protect their right to peaceful assembly, in line with international and domestic obligations. Ordering an independent and effective investigation into police actions would be a vital first step.

The eventual withdrawal of the Extradition Bill is a small step in the right direction but people are still taking to the streets to demand greater democracy. The Hong Kong authorities must show that they are truly committed to upholding human rights so that my friends and former colleagues in Hong Kong can still enjoy these rights irrespective of their political beliefs.