April 22, 2020
The two Hong Kong teens, aged 16 and 17, involved with throwing bricks during political protests in Hong Kong back in 2019 have been charged with the murder of a 70-year-old man.
The 70-year-old man, Luo Chang-qing, passed away in November 2019 from his injuries when pro-democracy supporters and pro-government supports clashed and started throwing bricks at each other in the town of Sheung Shui. Luo suffered fatal injuries to the head according to MotherShip.
Luo was not on anyone’s side during the clash and was simply filming the fight on his smartphone. Chinese laws are different and regardless of the teens being underage, both will face murder charges and will serve life sentences.
It should be noted nearly all major democracies state very clearly secession is not legal under their constitutions. In the United States, the argument of secession was resolved during the Civil War. The Supreme Court clearly points out no state has the right of secession because the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’ clearly illustrates ‘one nation, indivisible.’ These beliefs were championed by the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase who states during Texas v. White in 1869, “The union between Texas and the other states was as complete, as perpetual, and as indissoluble as the union between the original states. There was no place for reconsideration or revocation, except through revolution or through consent of the States.”
Another good example of a democratic country denying secession would be Spain. Spain recently sentenced Catalan Separatist Leaders to 9-13 years in prison over their 2017 independence referendum. The Spanish Supreme Court found nine leaders of the Catalan separatist movement guilty of sedition, including the former vice-president of Catalonia Oriol Junqueras. He will be serving 13 years in prison, according to Forbes.
Although many Hong Kongers argue about the lack of democracy in their city under Chinese rule, which lead to the pro-democracy movement. All governors of Hong Kong were appointed by England and not voted by the citizens of Hong Kong. Democratic countries deny secession of any kind. The People’s Republic of China is a communist state and will not be more lenient than democratic countries regarding secession.
Feature Image via South China Morning Post