There is a brewing call for the United Nations to recognize Hong Kong as a separate country in 2047. The issue started in an article in a university newspaper.
When the UK handed over Hong Kong to China in 1997, there were certain rights that were preserved in its mini-constitution known as the basic law. This law provides for one country with two constitutions which is applicable for 50 years.
After the mass pro-democracy protest in 2014, there are now small but growing number of supporters in Hong Kong that wants its independence from China. This is known as the localist movement. Their latest cry for freedom was published on Undergrad, a student magazine of the University of Hong Kong as per BBC.
The article entitled "Our 2047" discusses the recognition of the United Nations to give them sovereign rights, establish their own democratic government and have their own constitution.
The head of China's parliamentary law committee, Qiao Xiaoyang, said it is impossible when asked for his thoughts of Hong Kong's independence. As reported by South China Morning Post, Rimsky Yuen Kwok-Keung, the Secretary for Justice who is an HKU law graduate, also said that he can't see reason why one country with two systems needs any changes.
But Arthur LI, the council chairman of HKU, firmly said that they need to talk about these issues because they are being given with ideas that don't make sense. He added that people of Hong Kong are being warned of certain unmentionable issues that will provoke Beijing yet they are told of the freedom of speech they have in their country, according to EJ Insight.
It has been criticized that the Hong Kong government is the puppet of the mainland. The opposition pan-democrat lawmakers are also seen as weak in responding to the increasing call of the localist movement. Beijing, however, declined to give in to the demands of the protesters in allowing them to have the freedom to pick their leaders, most importantly their president in the upcoming 2017 elections.
