Can China quell dissent in Hong Kong?
China is cracking down hard on the popular democratic movement in the former British colony.
It is a movement that swelled into the millions, winning the backing of leaders and the public around the world.
And it has been championed as one of the 21st century’s most important social movements.
But in 2021, the Hong Kong democracy movement is a far cry from its heyday.
Key figures are behind bars or facing charges. Pro-democracy politicians either walked out or were kicked out of the legislature.
New strict security laws are being used to shut down Beijing’s critics.
Thanks in part to the pandemic – mass marches are now few and far between.
And most recently, a group of activists who fled from Hong Kong to Taiwan has been sentenced to prison.
How will the turmoil in Hong Kong play out?
Presenter: Peter Dobbie
Guests:
Einar Tangen – political analyst
Nathan Law – pro-democracy activist
Kerry Brown – director of the Lau China Institute and professor of Chinese Studies at King’s College London