To answer your question, yes due to Hong Kong originally being the main financial center of China. The Chinese government was worried about losing Hong Kong since they didn’t have any alternatives during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Hence they didn’t interfere. That is why this cultish anti mainlander mentality is so strong to this day. Nowadays, there are alternatives to Hong Kong like Shanghai and Shenzhen. So the central government can be much more harsh to those terrorists.
Of course I know that part, as I mentioned, my family background is from HK, so I'm totally familiar with the mentality.
However, think about this, you had 20 years of peace, what changed? I'm not talking about western BS like "rights being taken away", I mean actual pre-extradition bill changes?
The only thing I can think of is the housing becoming more unaffordable, however this is a problem in many major metropolitan areas, doesn't really explain the extreme radicalization going on.
It is almost like HK and Xinjiang are mirrors (replace Islam with Democracy). You hear a lot of commentary that Xinjiang was just a regular place, peaceful life until the 2014 train station terror attack. It was after that incident when all the deradicalization and heavy security presence was implemented.
Part of the government deradicalization effort is to increase the economic opportunities for young people. Is this what is missing in HK? Do they really need the current education system to be completely torn down?
I've always said, looking beyond HK, radical movements seem to be taking hold across the world. Would we ever have imagined something like the Jan. 6 riot in DC? Charlottesville white supremacist rally? Today in Canada they tore down statues of Queen Victoria and Elizabeth (coincidentally HK cockroaches cheer on the old lady waving a British flag). Obviously the reasons are different in each place, but it is hard to stomach the thought of American operatives trying to drag HK down into the gutter with them.
