Amid growing concern for Hong Kong's freedoms, the territory's police has sought to ban a pro-independence group. The move comes as China attempts to tighten its grip on the semi-autonomous region.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Wallace
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Hong Kong police on Tuesday commenced action to shut down a pro-independence party that promotes secession from China.
The Hong Kong Security Bureau sent a letter to Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) founder Andy Chan telling him he had until August 7 to "make representations in writing" as to why it should not be banned, according to the party's social media page, which posted photos of the letter.
The letter said the secretary for security had received a recommendation that it was "necessary in the interests of national security or public safety, public order or the protection of human rights" to prohibit the operation of the HKNP.
Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous territory within China that is governed under a "one country, two systems" principle.
It is the first time since the former British colony's return to Chinese rule in 1997 that it has attempted to ban a political organization.
Hong Kong's secretary for security, John Lee, said Tuesday he was considering the request made by police to ban the HKNP, which is one of the leading groups in Hong Kong's pro-independence movement.
"In Hong Kong we have freedom of association, but that right is not without restriction," Lee told reporters.
Faces of the Umbrella Revolution
The protests aren't ebbing: In Hong Kong, thousands are taking to the streets daily to demand more democracy. DW introduces seven.
Image: DW/P. Bilsky
Charles Tsoi, 18, pupil
"I've been demonstrating here for four days. The tents are donations for the protesters, so they can rest, but actually it's hotter inside them than outside."
Image: DW/P. Bilsky
Michelle Keung, 21, student
"I volunteer at a supply point. A lot of people have donated different things, such as protective glasses or water. I am very proud to be part of this movement."
Image: DW/P. Bilsky
Calvin Ng, 31, accountant
"I brought an umbrella because umbrellas are a symbol of this protest. I am here to fight for the people of Hong Kong. I support democracy."
Image: DW/P. Bilsky
Chan Ka Ying, 16, pupil
"It is so hot, so I spray the demonstrators with water to help them cool down. They always smile and thank me."
Image: DW/P. Bilsky
Eric Leung, 40, merchant
"I am here with my wife and daughter. I am neither for nor against the demonstrations, but I want my daughter to decide for herself. We rarely have such a major protest movement in Hong Kong."
Image: DW/P. Bilsky
Eugene Chan, 17 Jahre alt, pupil
"I realized that a lot of journalists need interpreters, so my fellow pupils and I translate from Cantonese into English. We also have a Facebook page of translations."
Image: DW/P. Bilsky
Felicia Wong, 43, computer scientist
"The yellow ribbon is a symbol of the protests, just like the umbrellas. The ribbon has been around for a while, but I don't know its exact background. I found out from the Internet that the yellow ribbon is a symbol of protest."
Image: DW/P. Bilsky
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'I will never stop'
Chan, 27, told news organization Reuters that he would need to consult lawyers on his next step, but pledged to continue pushing for independence.
"I will never stop in my pursuit of freedom, human rights, equality and dignity," Chan said.
While Hong Kong enjoys a high level of autonomy and freedoms China doesn't have, such as freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, there is increasing concern that those rights are under threat from a forceful China under President Xi Jinping.
Hong Kong returned to Chinese sovereignty twenty years ago, after 156 years of British rule. The territory's history during this time has been marked by numerous protests against mainland China and the SARS pandemic.
Image: Reuters/B. Yip
1997: Historic moment
The handover of Hong Kong's sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place on July 1, 1997. The territory on China's Pearl River Delta became a British colony in 1842 and was occupied by Japan during World War II. After Hong Kong's return to China, the political situation was described as "one country, two systems."
Image: Reuters/D. Martinez
1999: No family reunions
Divided families, who had been split by the Hong Kong border, had hoped to be reunited after the territory's return to China. But with a daily quota of only 150 mainland Chinese allowed to settle in Hong Kong, many were left disapointed. This photo from 1999 shows mainland Chinese visitors protesting outside Hong Kong's Legal Aid Department after they were denied residency permits.
Image: Reuters/B. Yip
2002: Dashed hopes
The residency issue flared up again in April 2002 when Hong Kong began deporting some 4,000 mainland Chinese who had lost legal battles to stay in the territory. These desperate families were evicted from a central park where they had been protesting.
Image: Reuters/K. Cheung
2003: The SARS pandemic hits
In 2003, the highly contagious SARS virus spread through Hong Kong. The territory was hard hit by the flu-like virus and in March, the WHO declared it a pandemic. This man attended Doctor Tse Yuen-man's funeral in May. Dr. Tse had volunteered to care for SARS patients and had contracted the virus herself. Hong Kong was declared SARS-free in June 2003. Almost 300 people had died of the disease.
Image: Reuters/B. Yip
2004: Rally for democracy
China's policy of "one country, two systems" has often created tension. In 2004, on the seventh anniversary of the handover, hundreds of thousands of people protested in Hong Kong, demanding political reform. They were calling for democracy and direct elections for Hong Kong's next leader.
Image: Reuters/B. Yip
2008: No place to live
Soaring property prices in Hong Kong forced rents higher. By 2008, it wasn't unusual to see people like Kong Siu-kau living in so-called "cage homes," 15-square-foot (1.4 square meters) wire mesh cubicles, eight of which were usually crammed into one room. Today an estimated 200,000 people call a wire cage, or a single bed in a shared apartment, home.
Image: Reuters/V. Fraile
2009: Remembering Tiananmen Square
On the twentieth anniversary of the government's brutal crackdown in Tiananmen Square, Hong Kong residents gathered for a candlelight vigil in Victoria Park. It showed how different Hong Kong is from China, where the massacre of pro-democracy supporters and students on June 4, 1989, is usually only referred to as the June Fourth Incident.
Image: Reuters/A. Tam
2014: Occupy Central
Starting in September 2014, large-scale protests demanding more autonomy rocked Hong Kong for over two months. Beijing had announced that China would decide on the candidates for the 2017 election of Hong Kong's chief executive. The protests were referred to as the Umbrella Revolution, because protesters used umbrellas to fend off pepper spray and tear gas used by police.
Image: Reuters/T. Siu
2015: Sport becomes political
Less than a year after the Occupy Central protests ended, China played against Hong Kong in a soccer World Cup qualifiying match on November 17, 2015. The guests did not receive a friendly welcome in Hong Kong. Fans booed when the Chinese national anthem was played and held up posters saying "Hong Kong is not China." The match ended 0-0.
Image: Reuters/B. Yip
2016: Another bout of violence
In February 2016, Hong Kong's rough police tactics made headlines again. Authorities tried to remove illegal street vendors from a working-class Hong Kong neighborhood. They sent riot police, who used batons and pepper spray against protesters, and also fired live warning shots into the air. The street clashes were the worst since the Umbrella Revolution in 2014.
