Clear message

On Tuesday, July 1, Hong Kong witnessed one of the region's largest demonstrations in recent history. Tens of thousands took to the streets of the city for the annual July 1 rally, marking the day the territory was returned to China in 1997 after more than a century of British rule. The aim of this year's commemoration was to pressure Beijing's Communist Party leaders to introduce democratic reform and allow electoral freedom.

The rally came just one day after polls closed in an unofficial "referendum" which saw nearly 800,000 residents – more than a fifth of the city's electorate – cast ballots to urge Beijing to allow opposition democrats to run in a 2017 citywide election for a new chief minister. China's state-run media called the vote an "illegal farce." Both the vote and the rally were organized by the pro-democracy protest group, Occupy Central with Love and Peace (OCLP).

Joseph Cheng, Chair Professor of Political Science at the City University of Hong Kong witnessed the mass protest. In a DW interview he says Beijing cannot afford to ignore the Hong Kong residents' demand for greater democracy.

DW: How did you witness the protest rally?

Joseph Cheng: There are more people than expected. It was the largest rally since 1989. It is obvious that the people chose to take part in the rally because they felt that they had to speak out, otherwise they might not even have a chance later. They are asking for a credible democratic system. People feel that their autonomy, core values and their lives are being threatened. And I think the message to Beijing is very clear - if you keep denying democracy to Hong Kongers, then you will lose legitimacy in the eyes of the people.

Who took part in the rally?

People from all walks of life were there. I saw students, young people, children, pregnant women and many old people.

How important is the turnout to put pressure on Beijing?

I am sure that Beijing has to consider the situation given the fact that almost 800,000 people came out to vote in the referendum demanding the civic nomination. I can not be optimistic but Beijing certainly understands the seriousness of the matter.

What message are demonstrators trying to send to Beijing?

The people are saying that they don't want to confront the Chinese authority but they want their democratic rights. They are not going be fooled by Beijing's promise of universal suffrage and simultaneously controlling the list of electoral candidates. The people in Hong Kong are willing to take action and to sacrifice for democracy.

Do Hong Kong residents feel their civil liberties are being stripped away?

In terms of media freedom, we used to rank 18 in 1997, and now our ranking has fallen to 61. People see a lot of collusion between businesses and government. Now, we are one of the largest cities in the world with a huge gap between rich and poor. There is a fear among the people that this might be a vicious circle. If we do not achieve democracy, there will be more suppression.

Why do you think Chinese authorities remained on the sidelines and decided not to intervene in the rally?

Hong Kong is an international financial center. If the government denies Hong Kong people the right to rule of law and to execute their right of association then this place will not be able to function as a financial center anymore.

Where does the pro-democracy movement go from now?

This pro-democracy movement needs to remain united and keep demonstrating to Beijing that if there is no democracy there will be a long term confrontation. It also needs to show that the bad governance cannot be maintained. Pro-democracy movement intends to encourage people to show their willingness to sacrifice for democracy. The protesters are planning to occupy the city center, but for how long they can do it is not clear. The police might start cracking down on them. There are many people who are ready to go to prison in this fight for democracy. I am also prepared to take part in the occupy protest and to be arrested and to be imprisoned.

Joseph Cheng is Chair Professor of political science at the City University of Hong Kong. He has been the founding editor of the Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences and The Journal of Comparative Asian Development, as well as the founding president of the Asian Studies Association of Hong Kong.