Unfree Speech by Joshua Wong

This book on the Hong Kong struggles since the historic handover of Hong Kong to mainland China is a very interesting and easy read.

It gives the perspective of a young Joshua Wong who with the support of many took the brave & costly steps to maintain a level of democracy in Hong Kong.

According to the 1997 Sino-British Joint Declaration, the United Kingdom handed control of Hong Kong over to the People’s Republic of China, making it a special administrative region. In principle, Hong Kong became an autonomous administrative division based on the Hong Kong Basic Law as “one country, two systems”.

This book outlines the conflicts of retaining democratic input in conflict to a super power that shies away from democracy as it is known in the rest of the modern world.

Reading Joshua’s perspective will leave you with some questions on the world & Australian tightrope on relations with China & the territorial issues with Taiwan, Tibet & the Uyghurs. Was it naive of the British to think a modern economical China may change its ways on democracy as we know it?

It’s well worth a read & consideration

Reviewed by Steve Warren
SMSA Director