now monday marked the end of the third straight month in Hong Kong summer of
protests a controversial China extradition bill first let the match of
anger that has now exploded into a million person marches and the five
demands made by the pro-democracy movement to help us put things into
perspective joining me live via Skype from Hong Kong is dr. Victor talk
professor at the University of Hong Kong Victor welcome to the program now after
months of protests and unrest in Hong Kong we saw a stunning u-turn by Hong
Kong chief executive Carrie Lam and officially withdrawing this extradition
bill now there are plenty of wild speculation or was this a concession
from the Hong Kong government or Beijing or was it a strategic adjustment paving
the way for tougher action if this chaos continued I think is a gesture on the
part of the establishment to try and not giving but to try and offer concession
to the protesters I do not see a suggestion of the government being tough
on protesters because what happened over the weekend was that the professor's
came out and did more damages student various metro stops like metro station
and and even though the riot police has gone in to try and stop them they you
know they used basically the same level force there was nobody shot so I think
the company is still trying to contain the situation there isn't actually a
major escalation in the way the police's post about this this weekend again know
on former US defense secretary mattis has said that the anti-government
protests in Hong Kong were not in internal Chinese matter and that the US
should offer at least moral support to the demonstrators political analyst
suggests his response was now present Trump response was muted to avoid
disrupting talks with China over tariffs or
your thoughts on this well to this first of all we both we've all due respect to
the century of life and this really is an issue or mainly mainly for between a
humble people and the Chinese government as our governments aura is really I
think has nothing to do with the United States having said that I think there is
a general consensus global consensus for the support for Google liberties I think
most people in Concord are watching for civil liberties I myself included you
know who is not who people liberties the big question is how so one thing is that
very the fourth quarter for Texas aspirations meaning they would like to
have you know more democratic accountability more civil liberty human
rights we have helped the big question is in methodology behind the different
sections of the different groups of protectors obviously the main group of
protesters in Albom there are three serving citizens but there is a small
group effort in vertical they are bent on drawing in the United States into
what it supposed to be is domestic discussion for a Chinese and a Hong Kong
people they depend on using what they call people is obedience which
essentially I think violence they are bent on drawing in the kids in school
twelve thirteen year old kids were supposed to be study into the era you
know in general indifference most most of the projects more in different
directions for different groups of people in Hong Kong
well the protests in Hong Kong were sparked by the government in intro of an
extradition bill to mainland China so the despite the withdrawal the
protests continue it's been a little over 20 years since Britain's return of
Hong Kong to China and the beginning of one country two systems now do you
believe that this is the beginning of something bigger a bigger demand by the
people of Hong Kong the breakdown of one country two systems perhaps
no actually in fact if anything the number of people coming out to protest
having onto the streets to protect it's an indication that most people believe
in the one country two systems have always been telling my students for
years if you do not believe in one country two systems and you believe that
companies like China then there is a big question of whether you get other
students who would actually there and protect our data Street I don't think
Beijing University students would actually dare to do what a calm
confident do because ompletely cuz they know what the consequences are they
believe that the police they will use for lethal force if necessary
some students or they don't believe that we should actually use these important
them reason why everybody up in the street it does however represent a
turning point a major turning point in Hong Kong authorities and very the
willingness of a new generation of compound people coming to the street to
make or press for greatest political demands on the Hong Kong government but
also directly challenged the central government it also increasingly
serration protections shifting its nature is you know from discussion of
democratic accountability now there are Christ for independence so we are seeing
among internal politics I think the one country two systems you very much rely
in Hong Kong in China today all right so you're in belief of the one country two
systems all right I bet your top professor at the University of Hong Kong
many things for your insights today we appreciate it