Pro-democracy activists take part in a protest on China’s National Day in Hong Kong on Sunday. Picture: REUTERS
One could reasonably assume that these are not the type of headlines likely to be welcomed by those in power on the mainland, though the reaction has been relatively restrained. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been reports of local police brutality — just not the kind of reaction one would have expected in another era in China’s history.
It’s not inconceivable then to imagine, and hope, that leaders in today’s China will be more sensitive to international public opinion and that this would make a violent crackdown in Hong Kong less likely. Surely the use of force would be the last resort for the government? Though the longer the situation lasts, the more likely that scenario is.
The economy has already taken strain, with hundreds of billions of dollars wiped off the city’s stock exchange. It’s not in anybody’s interest for this to go on any longer, though with every day of violence and counteraccusations, the window of opportunity for a peaceful resolution is getting ever narrower.