Hong Kong: Enlarged democracy activist Joshua Wong calls for leader to quit
Hong Kong, Jun.17 (HS): Right Activist Joshua Wong, who is struggling for full democracy, was enlarged free from prison on Monday and vowed to unseat city’s Beijing-backed leader, Carrie Lam.
“I will join to fight against this evil law,” said Wong. “I believe this is the time for her, Carrie Lam the liar, to step down.” The struggle escalated during Wong’s five-week jail term for contempt of court. Until this month, the failure of the “Umbrella” protests to wrest concessions from Beijing, coupled with prosecutions of at least 100 protesters, had discouraged many young people from going back out on the streets.
As per knowledgeable sources, this fragile situation comes at a difficult time for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is grappling with a U.S. trade war, an ebbing economy and regional strategic tension.
Meanwhile, many residents of Hong Kong are increasingly unnerved by Beijing’s tightening grip and what they see as the erosion of its freedoms, fearing that changes to the rule of law could imperil its status as a global financial centre.
Hong Kong has been administered under a “one country, two systems” formula since its return to Beijing, allowing freedoms not granted to the mainland, but short of a fully democratic vote.
