The taste of tear gas,’ is what Hong Kong citizen Lam Hing Lun recollected in last week’s Al Jazeera article from his time in the West Bank. It is exactly this taste that the protesters on the streets of Hong Kong have to meet with today. After more than a million people went out on the streets on June 9th to oppose the proposed extradition bill by Hong Kong’s government and Chief Executive Carrie Lam, tens of thousands of citizens have been continuing the protests, reflecting the deeper lying problems that Hong Kong has dealt with for decades. The extradition law would allow Hong Kong citizens to be sent to mainland China for trial, subject to rejection of extradition by the Hong Kong’s chief executive. Additionally, the Hong Kong courts would have the ‘power’ to review any legal decision made, while not being allowed to decide on the quality of justice applied to the case. This led to much unrest and the fear that Hong Kong citizens could now be sentenced for Chinese political crimes, which would threaten their semi-autonomous and somewhat democratic position.

The fact that the extradition could be rejected by Hong Kong’s chief executive does not do much to soften this fear, since in contradiction to the 2017 promised right to vote for all adults in Hong Kong, the chief executive nowadays is still elected by a 1,200 member committee, who are supposedly mainly Beijing loyalists. This lack of full democracy and distrust in Hong Kong’s local government and leader pushed the Hong Kongers to the streets once before in 2004, then labeled the Umbrella Movement. However, prosecution by political opponents - a similar treatment the Chinese mainland activists receive- made it difficult to continue the protests.

Inspired by Palestinian protestors near Ramallah

The current protests, continuing even after the controversial extradition bill proposal was off the table, reminded Lam Hing Lun of the Palestinians in villages near Ramallah; persisting against tear gas by Israeli soldiers for generations. (see ‘’'Nothing to lose': The Hong Kong protesters taking on China’’, by Violet Law, Al Jazeera). Lam was inspired by the Palestinians, persisting for decades, and compared them to the Hong Kongers, who now finally fight the broken promises of autonomy after decades of having to deal with a minority of upper classes controlling political power. Because of this, many officials have been privileging their accumulation of wealth, without reflecting the social issues and difficulties of the majority - resulting in Hong Kong becoming both the city with one of the highest per capita incomes and one with almost the biggest income inequality.

Interestingly, tear gas, the lack of full autonomy and eroding civil rights are not the only resemblances the protesting Hong Kongers deal with, in comparison with the Palestinians. Both Palestine and Hong Kong have been possessed by Great Britain during a war, thereafter respectively being acquired as a mandate and a crown colony. In the universal atmosphere of decolonization, starting towards the end of the 20th century, the UK was also responsible for securing the future of these areas; handing over the Palestine-question to the UN and Hong Kong as a Special Administered Region to China, remaining semi-autonomous for at least 50 years after the ‘handover’ treaty of 1997. As a result of this colonial echo, both Hong Kong and the Palestinian Territories are facing troubles with their internal government.

For example, Hong Kongers experience intellectual and financial burdens from their education system, while having no shot at many jobs, since mainland China graduates usually get preferred. This is a result of the already mentioned colonial-like formal civil servants that govern Hong Kong, heavily influenced by Beijing. Meanwhile, the hope of realizing a full democracy decreases entering the end of the 50-year treaty, while China’s economic power and information advantage system are growing tremendously.

Already dealing with a lack of autonomy and a growing economic/military superpower above their heads threatening to limit autonomy even further, there is not much for citizens to do but protesting. Making matters worse, Beijing uses the protests -how slightly violent as they may be- as an argument against the aimed democracy and self-control of Hong Kong.

Moreover, both Hong Kong and Palestine have failed to be fully internationally recognized as autonomous. To be considered for official sovereign statehood, the concerning state must have the capacity to enter into relations with other states. Although Hong Kong does maintain the ability to 
keep cultural and economic relations with foreign nations, their diplomatic matters are managed by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The State of Palestine only maintains embassies in the countries that recognize its existence. However, since the full sovereignty of the PLO and PA, is limited by Israel’s de facto control over the claimed territories, the capacity to enter international relations autonomously is limited as well.

Concluding this list of many resemblances, the effort of the international community comes to light. While multiple international newspapers covered the demonstrations for weeks now, the attention remains rather passive. As with the economic powerful Israel, no area in Hong Kong can compete with superpower China and Western countries don’t want to risk losing their valuable economic relations. However, since lots of countries maintain strong economic ties with Hong Kong separately and even have citizens residing in the area, formal signs of support for the protesters have been issued.

Can the international community make a difference?

As for the United States, since the proposed extradition law could threaten the business environment for their visiting citizens and with Trump already being involved in a trade war with China, the anti-democratic movement is an extra reason to meddle. The UK expressed some concerns as well, with the question remaining how much of an influence they still have. For as much as Beijing’s top diplomat Wang’s reaction, that should not be much: “We must say it here loudly: you must withdraw your black hand. Hong Kong is China’s domestic affair. We don’t need your meddling here. Hong Kong is not a place for you to run amuck.” (Reuters)

While situations have not been as critical as in Palestine, many spectators hold their breath as violence used at the Hong Kong protests increases, with already four protesters having committed suicide. Labour Party lawmaker Fernando Cheung feared that; "…, we would only be spiraling down towards even more violence, death, a curfew and even PLA interference," referring to China's People's Liberation Army. (Reuters)

Facing eroding civil rights and broken promises of autonomy, without enough recognition or care from the international community, one wonders if both Hong Kong and the State of Palestine can stand strong towards today’s significant (economic) powers. The remaining question is if protesting, while coping with the taste of tear gas, eventually will make a change. Only time will tell.