A scene from the beginning of Hong Kong’s Occupy Central protests.
(Photo: South China Morning Press, Sept. 28, 2014)
Towson University History Professor Steven Phillips believes the throngs of protestors in Hong Kong will bring about change. But he warns that, with China fighting to maintain power and authority, it will take time for the wheels to move.
In an op-ed published by the Baltimore Sun this week, Phillips explains the historical context that led to the current uprising in Hong Kong. He outlines four reasons that the crowds’ dispersal is not evidence that Beijing succeeded in suppressing the movement inspired by 2011’s initial Occupy Wall Street demonstrations.
“Even if they are unsuccessful in this instance, they know they can capture global attention,” Phillips writes about the protestors. “They will… likely take to the streets again to promote democracy in Hong Kong.”Phillips is an expert in East Asian history whose research has focused on how the Taiwanese have fared under Chinese rule. Hong Kong switched from British to Chinese control in 1997.
Read Phillips’ op-ed on the Hong Kong demonstrations and what they mean for China here.
