Chinese Democracy: Political Developments in Hong Kong since the Umbrella Movement

Opinion
27 Jul 17

The 2014 Umbrella Movement was a watershed moment in Hong Kong, as protesters took to the streets to protest against Chinese interference in the electoral process there. Since then, there has been an alarming deterioration in relations. This is a special report from Hong Kong native, Natalie Ng.

In Ireland, most people’s main point of reference for the current political situation in Hong Kong stems from the Umbrella Movement, which kicked off on September 28, 2014. It was a scenario which no doubt resonated strongly for Irish people, with citizens of a small country rising up in revolt against their more powerful neighbours.

After being denied the democracy promised by China time and again, the “decision” – the Orwellian term for interference in the Hong Kong electoral process – by the Chinese legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), had once more snatched away any chance of Hong Kong having universal suffrage.

As a native of Hong Kong, I had a direct insight into the anger on the ground. The sense of betrayal ran high: protesters occupied the business district and shopping centres in Admiralty, Causeway Bay and Mongkok for over two months.