Protests unsettle Hong Kong

USD’s International Center removes Hong Kong from Intersession 2020 course list

Luke Garrett / News Editor / The USD Vista

Seas of people have crowded the streets of Hong Kong, China since last spring in two distinct groups — one claiming to fight for their democratic rights and the other claiming to fight domestic terrorists and gangs. The ideological conflict between the Hong Kong protesters and their government has gone on for 16 weeks and shows no sign of stopping. 
Hong Kong’s uncertain future caused the University of San Diego’s International Center to strike the city from the list of Intersession study abroad locations on Sept. 10. The city has been steeped in an ideological struggle over the past four months, leading to a mix of both violent and peaceful protests.

The former British territory entered into political unrest after a proposed extradition bill supported by mainland China was introduced to Hong Kong lawmakers. The bill would allow mainland China to pick up and detain anyone, where judges must follow the orders of the Communist Party. Protests broke out in opposition to the extradition bill because Hong Kongers feared it would erode the city’s unique sovereignty and autonomy ensured by the “one country, two systems” agreement between China and Great Britain. 

Political unrest concerning Hong Kong’s sovereignty and democratic values have occurred in years past, the most notable being the peaceful Umbrella Movement in 2014, in which students protested against mainland China’s decision to reform Hong Kong’s electoral system. The protest overwhelmed police and left some portions of the city closed for 77 days. Despite the umbrella protestors’ efforts, police became violent and broke up the group. The government made no concessions after the 2014 protests.

The current protests are of a different sort than the Umbrella Movement — a combination of peaceful protest by day and violent protest by night. This has proved partially successful as the extradition bill was removed from the Hong Kong legislature on Sept. 4. Despite the removal of the bill, protesters will continue to march until their other four demands are met: for Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam to step down, an inquiry into police brutality, for those who have been arrested to be released, and greater democratic freedoms.

The Director of USD’s International Center, Kira Espiritu, Ph.D., provided the reason for the center’s decision to remove Hong Kong from the list of Intersession locations.

“We removed Hong Kong from the intersession Asia Tour due to the uncertainty of how the situation would develop,” Espiritu said. “We also relocated our regular Hong Kong intersession program to Tokyo for the same reason. We need to make plans months in advance to secure lodging and classroom accommodations and enrollment in these two programs. (The plans) had come to a standstill with the daily news reports.”

The university’s decision to exclude the city from Intersession was not an easy one.

“This was done with great regret, as USD has been operating programs in Hong Kong for decades, and we have a great source of alumni there that help enrich our program,” Espiritu said. 

Students were notified of the decision through an email from the International Center on Sept. 10. Espiritu explained that student voices were involved in the decision. 
“Student concerns were considered in the decision-making process,” Espiritu said. “Faculty teaching the various courses and the staff in the USD International Center ultimately made the decision to remove Hong Kong from the Asia Tour and relocate the regular Hong Kong program to Tokyo.”

Senior Sofia Silvestri went to Hong Kong during Intersession 2019 and spoke to the city’s unique political identity. “It was very evident … that Hong Kong was very proud of its independence in government from China and wanted to keep it that way,” Silvestri said. “It is such a great loss to not have Hong Kong as an option for Intersession. It was such an amazing experience not only studying in Hong Kong but exploring the unique culture it has to offer.” 
Hong Kong’s political position began in 1842 when the Qing Dynasty ceded the territory to the British Empire to end the First Opium War. The British then ruled Hong Kong for more than 150 years, all the while ingraining Western and democratic values and laws within the city. In 1997 the city was returned to Chinese rule along with the “one country, two systems” agreement that guarded Hong Kong’s political autonomy from the mainland for the next 50 years. 
It is these inherent ideological differences between the democratic Hong Kong and socialist mainland China that lie at the center of the political unrest. As the protests in Hong Kong continue, the Chinese media in the mainland describe protesters as domestic terrorists. These state-controlled media outlets have also claimed that western governments, like the U.S. and the U.K., are the orchestrators of Hong Kong’s unrest. 
Hong Kong protesters deny these claims made by the Chinese-owned media and have begun to estrange themselves from mainland China. Most notably, Hong Kongers have started to sing a new anthem created online this past month named “Glory to Hong Kong.” This song is sung over the Chinese national anthem during soccer games and in malls. 
The anonymous author of the protest’s anthem created the lyrics on an online forum. The fourth and final stanza of the anthem reads, “Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our time.” 
USD students will not be able to hear this anthem sung this Intersession, although the anthem may serve as a topic of study for future students no matter the result of the unrest in Hong Kong.