Activist Joshua Wong says world must 'stand with Hong Kong' as China passes security law

A young pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has said on July 5 that the entire world must stand in solidarity with the former Britsih colony after China imposed the controversial national security law threatening the city’s autonomy. According to an international media agency, at his appearance in court, the 23-year-old pledged to continue the campaigning for democracy in the city while he along with other protesters are currently being prosecuted for involvement in civil unrest that prevailed in 2019 in Hong Kong. Wong said that this is the ‘time to stand with Hong Kong’ with a stern belief that the demonstrators ‘will never give up and surrender to Beijing’.

After China passed the national security law that could imprison the violators for life, many countries have raised their voice against the suppression of the city and even condemned the Chinese Communist Party. Wong, who has been Hong Kong’s one of the most prominent activists began campaigning for democracy when he was 12. The 23-year-old has often been defamed by the Chinese media as the ‘black hand’ of the civil unrest that has rocked the city since 2019. 

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Wong avoided mention of sanctions

Amid such challenging times for the city residents, while speaking outside the court, Wong avoided nay mention of sanctions while calling for the world for support. Instead, the 23-year-old reportedly adhered to more generalised statements about not ignoring China’s advancements in Hong Kong. According to reports, Wong said that the pro-democracy protesters ‘encourage the global community to let’ their voices be heard across the world.

According to media reports, the new controversial law is aimed to tackle the separatist activity, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with the forces of the foreign countries. The administrative bodies in Hong Kong ranging from finance to immigration will be directly answerable to the central government in China. This has marked the most significant change in the former British colony’s freedom since it came under Chinese rule in 1997 and critics believe it threatens the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ formula of governance.

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Inputs: Agency