Freedom undone
Subtitle: the assault on liberal values and institutions in Hong Kong
Series: Asia shorts, 17
Publisher: Association for Asian Studies
Published: 2023
Place of publication: Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Language: eng
ISBN-13: 9781952636455
Subjects: Political science
Description: "What happens when liberal constitutional institutions are undone? Can Freedom survive the loss of separation of powers with the associated legal and political accountability? The Chinese Communist Party has been at the forefront in its disdain for liberal institutions and promoting illiberal alternatives. This disdain placed Hong Kong people on the frontlines of the global struggle for freedom. Since its handover from Britain, Hong Kong has felt the brunt of China's illiberal agenda, recently with increased intensity since the crackdown in 2019 and Beijing's imposition of a National Security Law in 2020. Thousands have been jailed and a city famous for vigorous protests has been silenced. Professor Michael Davis, a close observer who taught human rights and development in the city for three decades, takes us on the constitutional journey of both the city's vigorous defense of freedom and its repressive undoing-a painful loss for Hong Kong and a lesson for the world"-- Provided by publisher.
Table of contents: title: Introducing Hong Kong and what it represents -- Framing Hong Kong's handover : colonial rule and the Joint Declaration -- The Hong Kong Basic Law : an enlightened commitment or a ruse? -- Post-handover interventions, protests, and the Umbrella Movement -- 2015-2019 : the agressive offical response -- 2019 fury : the anti-extradition and democracy protest -- 2020 : the National Security Law (NSL) -- The NSL, the rule of law, and the constitutional order -- The NSL, political control, and the assault on freedom -- Democratic reform in reverse -- International support for Hong Kong -- The road traveled and the challenge ahead.