"White flowers at makeshift shrines and messages of support posted in a public square. A rainbow of folded paper cranes. Boxes of donated goods for the those in need. Hongkongers' responses to the Tai Po fire disaster in which at least 159 people have died and 31 are still unaccounted for have, on the surface, resembled similar community expressions of solidarity last seen during the 2019 protests."
"In the past, pro-democracy legislators would have grilled government officials in the legislative council: but in 2021 that changed when 47 pro-democracy politicians proposing to run in elections were charged with subversion, and later jailed. Only Beijing-approved patriots are now permitted to run for office, and all of Hong Kong's pro-democracy political parties have since dissolved. Freewheeling independent media outlets, such as Jimmy Lai's Apple Daily newspaper or online outlet Stand News, would have doggedly pursued investigative reporting to uncover corruption or mismanagement,"
White flowers, makeshift shrines, folded paper cranes and donated goods have appeared in public spaces after the Tai Po fire that killed at least 159 people and left 31 unaccounted for. These community expressions resemble the solidarity seen during 2019 protests, but civil society capacity has been eroded by Beijing's national security crackdown over the past five years. Pro-democracy legislators were charged with subversion in 2021 and jailed; only Beijing-approved candidates can run and pro-democracy parties dissolved. Independent outlets such as Apple Daily and Stand News were forced to close and editors charged, reducing investigative scrutiny and organized legal aid.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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