Kelly Chernin, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Journalism Center for Public Interest Communications research associate and Journal of Public Interest Communications manager, is the author of “Hong Kong’s Legal System May be Only Hope for Democracy Movement” published in The Globe Post on Nov. 21.
Chernin writes about Hong Kong’s struggle to gain universal suffrage and more autonomy from the Chinese mainland. The article focuses on Basic Law Article 23 written during Hong Kong’s transition period between 1984 and 1997 and designed to allow the region to maintain relative freedom but established a condition that gave China more control.
“While proposing national security legislation under this political climate could potentially backfire and give Beijing even more authority, Article 23 may be one of the last remaining hopes for a democratic Hong Kong,” Chernin writes. “The region’s autonomy has always been rooted in their rule of law and perhaps using the legal system may be the answer to fending off China’s encroaching authority.”
