Hong Kong and Xinjiang: Oppression Adapted

Author: Christopher Gardner

Field of Study: Arts and Humanities

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Matthew Cole

Easel: 14

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: China's repression of human rights has been quite notable in recent years, with examples such as the widely publicized Hong Kong protests and the crackdown on Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. The repression of democratic freedoms is similar in many ways, but also has key differences, which demonstrate China's ability of adaptation to resistance. In Hong Kong, there was a greater legal approach to repression of democratic rights via the application of the National Security Law (NSL), which annulled the previous standing legal distinction of "one country two systems." Xinjiang, on the other hand, has had a much more brutal approach with the implication of concentration camps and detention centers for the Uyghur Muslim population. This paper analyzes the variety of methods adapted by China to curtail resistance movements and protests across populations in Hong Kong. Furthermore, this research looks to address the extreme measures taken to target different populations.