Protesters in Hong Kong Wednesday directly appealed for foreign backing in their bid to defend the city’s political freedoms, in a risky move that is certain to draw the ire of Beijing.
Several hundred protesters gathered in the heart of the former British colony’s business district, holding placards and wearing t-shirts reading “Liberate Hong Kong.” They then marched on the U.S., U.K. and E.U. consulates and handed over letters asking for the issue of Hong Kong to be raised at the G20 summit on Osaka at the weekend.
Beijing has already made it clear that it regards the future of the semi-autonomous enclave, which was retroceded to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, as a domestic matter.
U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that he would talk about the protests in Hong Kong with his counterpart Xi Jinping in Osaka, but the Chinese side has said such discussion would not be tolerated.
The protesters want foreign powers to pressure the Hong Kong government to withdraw—instead of defer—a contentious bill that would allow the extradition of fugitives to China for the first time. The government says the bill is necessary to prevent Hong Kong from becoming a haven for criminals, but its detractors say Beijing will use the measure to apprehend dissidents and activists on trumped up charges.
“Our aim is to make the world more alert about the extradition bill in Hong Kong, and for world leaders to bring up this up as a discussion topic during the G20 summit,” 44-year-old housewife Teresa Yu said Wednesday. She was holding a sign bearing a picture of the White House and the words “We need help” as she walked to the U.S. consulate. “I don’t know if it’ll work, but if we do absolutely nothing, then there will be no chance of anything changing.”
An organizer of the protest, surnamed Lau, said “This movement has incited much international attention. We hope to use this opportunity before the G20 summit to get even more international support.”
A crowdfunding campaign has meanwhile raised over $700,000 for the purchase of a prominent advertisement against the extradition bill in the Financial Times before ministers gather in Osaka on Friday. Protesters also plan to book advertisements in newspapers in the U.S., France, Germany, and Japan, among other countries.
“If we can get other countries to hear our voices and act accordingly, that would be a great help to us,” said an 18-year-old student named Timothy Li as he handed a letter to the U.K.’s deputy consul general Esther Blythe.
“The extradition bill is a major challenge to universal human rights, freedom and liberty. We hope that the G20 will extend our voices to an international level,” he said to the assembled crowd.
He added that as Hong Kong’s former sovereign power, Britain had a “responsibility” to uphold the freedoms promised to Hong Kong.
Opposition to the bill in Hong Kong has broadened into a tense struggle for greater democracy, with huge marches on June 9 and June 16 viewed as a stunning repudiation of the administration of the city’s top official, the Beijing-backed Carrie Lam, who faces a no-confidence motion in the legislature Wednesday.
Protesters have also occupied government offices and besieged police headquarters in a bid to make their voices heard. Many are angry at what they claim is heavy-handed suppression of the protests by police. The U.K. has said it would suspend sales of tear gas to the Hong Kong police until an independent investigation into the allegations was made.
Wednesday’s protesters said they also planned to hand in letters at the legations of Japan, Canada, France, Germany, and others.
—With reporting by Hillary Leuing and Abhishyant Kidangoor / Hong Kong
