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User:Anewplayer/sandbox

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Impacts edit

Effects on economy edit

As the protest continued to escalate and the US-China trade war remains unresolved, retail sales have declined and consumers' appetite for spending has decreased.[1] Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce senior economist Wilson Chong warned that as protests continued, retail sales would be impacted badly. According to a gift shop owner, her shop's daily income have dropped 50% to 70% since the protesters stormed the LegCo Complex because of the heightened tension and a sense of desperation in Hong Kong which influenced Hong Kong people's mood for spending.[1] During the days of protests, protesters brought "mixed fortunes" to the businesses according to the South China Morning Post. Some restaurants saw their customers cancelling their bookings and some banks and shops were forced to shut their doors. Supplies for goods were also halted and obstructed due to the protest. Meanwhile, some shops prospered as nearby protesters bought food and other commodities. For instance, on 12 June, Japanese rice-ball store Hana-Musubi saw a 50% rise in sales because of the protest.[2] Meanwhile, protest supplies such as gas masks were running low in stock in both Hong Kong and Taiwan.[3]

The protests also affected property owners. Fearing the instability in Hong Kong, some property owners abandoned the purchases of land. Desire to purchase properties also declined, as overall property purchases declined by 24% when compared with Umbrella Revolution. Some developers are forced to reduce the selling price of their properties. In Yuen Long, the flat prices for Yoho Town declined by 4%.[4]

The Hang Seng Index declined by at least 4.8% from 9 June to late August. As interest for trading waned, companies that have already applied to float shares in Hong Kong urged their bankers to temporarily withhold their deal. August 2019 recorded only one IPOs, which was the lowest since 2012, and two large IPOs were shelved respectively in June and July. Fitch Ratings downgraded Hong Kong's sovereignty rating from AA+ to AA since it doubted the government's ability to maintain the "one country, two systems" principle. It also changed the outlook of the city from "stable" to "negative".[5]

Tourism was also affected. The Travel Industry Council remarked that the number of both mainland and overseas bookings in August 2019 declined by 50% when compared with August 2018. With their businesses affected, some travel agency requested their staff to take no pay leave.[4] Flight bookings also declined, with Cathay Pacific saying that the firm saw "the impact of local political unrest". Disney also revealed that there were fewer guests visiting Hong Kong Disneyland. Mainland tourists, according to Radio Free Asia, avoided travelling to Hong Kong due to safety concerns. Various countries have since issued travel warnings to Hong Kong.[6] The number of visitors travelling to Hong Kong declined by 40% in August year-on-year,[7] while the decline was 31.9% for the days during and after National Day.[8]

During the Airport protests on 12 and 13 August, the Airport Authority cancelled numerous flights, which resulted in an estimated US$76 million loss according to aviation experts.[9]

Effects on society edit

 
Hong Kong protests on 27 September 2019

Lam's administration received criticisms for their performance during the protests. Critics condemned Carrie Lam's arrogance,[10][11] and her extended absence and avoidance of public attention after her apology and believed that these factors enabled the protests to escalate.[12][13] According to polls done by the University of Hong Kong's Public Opinion Program, Lam's ratings dropped to a historic low score of 24.6, and other domains ranging from the satisfaction rate to the trust rate in the government also reached record low.[14] Ma Ngok, a political scientist at CUHK, remarked that the government "has lost the trust of a whole generation" and predicted that the youths would remain angry at both the government and the police "for years to come".[15]

The reputation of the police has taken a serious drubbing following the heavy-handed treatment of protesters.[16][17] According to some reports, the police have become a symbol that represented hostility and suppression and police's actions on the protesters has resulted in a breakdown of citizens' trust towards the Force.[18][19] Citizens were also concerned about the Force's ability to regulate and control itself and feared about its abuse of power.[20] The suspected police brutality have turned some previous politically neutral citizens to become more sympathetic with the young protesters.[21] For the Force, some lower-ranking officers reported feeling "lost and confused", citing "a lack of leadership" during important moments.[22] The Force has cancelled foot patrol due to fear that they may be attacked,[23] and issued extendable batons to off-duty officers.[20] Frontline officers have since faced public humiliation by citizens angered by the allegations, some of which also cyberbullied them and their families online.[24] Police officers also reported being "physically and mentally" tired, as they faced the risks of being doxxed and distanced by their family members.[25]

The protests have deepened the rift between the "yellow" (pro-democracy) and "blue" (pro-government) camps created since the Umbrella Revolution. There were more frequent and more violent clashes between people from the two camps, resulting in intense physical conflicts.[26] There were also cases where middle-aged pro-Beijing men attacked younger citizens setting up Lennon Walls, protest organisers, and pan-democratic lawmakers such as Lam Cheuk-ting and Roy Kwong.[27][28][29] Parents have argued with their children over their attending protests, either because they felt that their children's actions may cost them their future, or they supported the government and disagreed with their children's political stance.[21][30] Social workers have voiced their concerns for some of the young protesters, whose emotional health have become unstable.[24] Experts noted the eruption of despair in the city during the protests, though protesters have chanted rallying cries to raise people's mental health awareness and urge people not to commit suicide.[31]

Among the protesters, there was a stronger sense of solidarity when compared with the Umbrella Revolution. Protesters, instead of condemning and criticising each other, reflected and reminded each other in a friendly manner instead. As the protests continued to escalate, citizens showed an increasing tolerance to confrontational and violent actions. Pollsters have found out that among 8,000 respondents, 90% of them believed that the use of these tactics is understandable because of the government's refusal to respond to the demands.[32] Unity among the protesters was seen across a wide spectrum of age groups, with middle-aged and elderly volunteers attempting to separate the police and the young protesters in the frontline and providing various forms of assistance.[33] Various professions such as teachers, civil servants, accountants, medical professionals, and finance sector have organised protests or rallies to stand in solidarity with the youths.[34][35][36][37][38][39]

  1. ^ a b Tsang, Denise (8 July 2019). "Hong Kong protests hit city where it hurts – in the wallet". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Limited. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  2. ^ Wong, Michelle (12 June 2019). "Mixed fortunes for businesses as Hong Kong anti-extradition protests force some to close and bring a roaring trade to others". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Limited. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  3. ^ Chan, KG (13 August 2019). "Taiwan's tear gas mask stocks running out". Asia Times. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  4. ^ a b Yiu, Enoch (27 August 2019). "Hong Kong protests 2019 vs Occupy Central: after 79 days, retailers, investors, developers hit far worse by this year's demonstrations". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Limited. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  5. ^ Tsang, Denise (6 September 2019). "Beleaguered Hong Kong hit by double whammy as Fitch Ratings downgrades city and stock exchange hit by cyberattacks". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Limited. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  6. ^ "Hong Kong protests: How badly has tourism been affected?". BBC. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  7. ^ Kwok, Donny (9 September 2019). "Hong Kong August visitors plunge 40% year-on-year, hotels half-full: finance chief". Reuters. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  8. ^ China Daily (10 October 2019). "HK sees 55% dip in holiday tourists". Ecns.cn. Chinanews.com. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  9. ^ Morrison, Allen (26 August 2019). "Commentary: How Hong Kong's protests are affecting its economy". Channel News. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  10. ^ Kwok, Ben (17 June 2019). "Carrie Lam and the sin of arrogance". EJ Insight. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Carrie Lam arrogance swelled turnout, Charles Mok says". The Standard. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  12. ^ Chugani, Michael (18 July 2019). "When will our leader in hiding face the people?". EJ Insight. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  13. ^ Hamlett, Tim (7 July 2019). "Hong Kong's missing leader: Whatever happened to the new-look Carrie Lam?". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  14. ^ Cheng, Kris (28 August 2019). "Faith in Hong Kong leader and gov't dips to lowest point in post-colonial history – survey". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  15. ^ Kuo, Lily (11 August 2019). "Protests, clashes and lack of trust: the new normal for Hong Kong". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  16. ^ Ewing, Kent (25 June 2019). "From 'Asia's finest' to 'public enemy no.1,' Hong Kong's police force are in a paralysed state of confusion". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  17. ^ "Police luster fades, sinks to seven-year low". The Standard. 13 August 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  18. ^ "From Asia's Finest to Hong Kong's Most Hated". The Atlantic. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  19. ^ Ewing, Kent (28 June 2019). "How Hong Kong's police force lost the goodwill of the people". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  20. ^ a b Chan, Holmes (10 September 2019). "Hong Kong police issue extendable batons to off-duty officers, but critics concerned over potential for abuse". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  21. ^ a b Khan, Natasha (2 September 2019). "'Mom Says Come Home': Hong Kong Protests Divide Families". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  22. ^ Troude, Grey (17 July 2019). "From 'Asia's finest' to 'black dogs': Hong Kong police under pressure". Reuters. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  23. ^ Lo, Clifford (30 August 2019). "Hong Kong protests: police stop regular foot patrols due to staff crunch and risk of being attacked". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Limited. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  24. ^ a b Lo, Clifford (30 August 2019). "Hong Kong police provide personal alarms to children of officers in response to cyberbullying and threats of attack amid worsening protest violence". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Limited. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  25. ^ Watson, Ivan (15 August 2019). "Hong Kong's police describe their side of the protests". CNN. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  26. ^ "Fights break out in Amoy Plaza between rivals". RTHK. 14 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  27. ^ Chan, Holmes (20 August 2019). "26-year-old woman in critical condition after knife attack at Hong Kong 'Lennon Wall'". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  28. ^ Cheng, Kris (24 September 2019). "Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmaker Roy Kwong attacked in Tin Shui Wai". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  29. ^ Chan, Holmes (29 August 2019). "Hong Kong protest organiser Max Chung beaten up in Tai Po, shortly after police grant him unconditional release". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  30. ^ "Family politics: How Hong Kong protests affect the home dynamic". Al Jazeera. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  31. ^ Yu, Elaine (9 July 2019). "'Every one of us counts': Hong Kong protesters mobilise to promote mental health awareness". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  32. ^ Yuen, Samson (20 September 2019). "New research shows vast majority of Hong Kong protesters support more radical tactics". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  33. ^ Kuo, Lily (13 September 2019). "'I'll take the blow for them': the volunteers protecting Hong Kong protesters". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
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  38. ^ "No free lunch: thousands of Hong Kong accountants join protest march". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Limited. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  39. ^ "Hong Kong protests: Live updates as secondary school students demonstrate against the fugitive bill on August 22". South China Morning Post. South China Morning Post Publishers Limited. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
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