Hong Kong which was originally a British colony was returned to China in 1997. But it retained its status of Special Administrative Region. The special feature is its own separate governing and economic system from that of mainland China. But these special freedoms have a deadline of 2047. It is a highly developed region and ranks highly in many UN rank lists. Recently, this very special nature of the region came in the limelight as thousands of people took to the street to stage what is being called as a pro-democratic protest.

The politics of Hong Kong is always wary of Chinese influence. The people of Hong Kong want to preserve their distinct identity. Hong Kong has freedoms not present in mainland China. The main reason behind the protest is said to be the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Act, 2019 popularly called as the Hong Kong extradition Act.

The bill aimed to establish a mechanism for the transfer of fugitive to mainland China and Taiwan. This has been largely seen as an attempt to subdue the independence of Hong Kong.

It has been criticized to be a tool to harm the independent legal system of Hong Kong. As a reaction, thousands of people took to the street with the demand to withdraw the bill and resignation of Chief Executive Officer, Carrie Lam. The demand further rose for universal adult suffrage and for a more democratic system. On 23 September the government formally withdrew the bill.

But this could not satisfy the protesters who now demand democracy. The kidnapping and arrest of the owner of Causeway Bay Books which published sensitive content in mainland China further agitated people. It is important to note that though majorly due to Covid-19 spread protests ended some groups are still actively fighting for the cause of democracy.