The cherished legal rights that Beijing seeks to suppress in Hong Kong were established, in part, by Vietnamese asylum-seekers who fought for their freedom in court in the 1980s.
Protest, or the lack of it, can reveal one’s priorities and values. In failing to stand up to China, LeBron James and the NBA told us something about theirs.
While the political and long-term consequences of the protests are still impossible to know, Hong Kong is already experiencing some short-term economic impacts.
Why the Hong Kong protesters feel they have ‘nothing to lose’
The Conversation29.5 MB(download)
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has indicated she's open to dialogue. But unless she meets the demonstrators' demands, the protest movement isn't going to end anytime soon.
Protesters have adopted new approaches stemming from the failures of the 2014 Umbrella Movement and they are building something that is showing resilience to Beijing’s authoritarianism.
Hong Kong has few recognisable public places and none with the space for huge numbers of protesters. Instead, they have co-opted the streets and digital media as public spaces for protest.
A controversial extradition law has been suspended in Hong Kong after more than a week of mass public resistance. Hong Kong’s legal system is one of its few remaining areas of autonomy from China.