History and security law brought into focus

Hong Kong, 20 July 2020: The history of Hong Kong and the circumstances that have resulted in the territory’s new national security law were the subjects of an online presentation delivered by our Senior Partner Colin Cohen.

Colin discussed Hong Kong’s turbulent past, from the Opium Wars to the 1997 Handover and on to the recent civil unrest which has resulted in Beijing’s attempt to restore stability via the legislation implemented on 30 June. His large audience comprised members of the Abraham Society, a UK-based discussion group which convenes twice a week for talks on a wide range of topical issues and current affairs.

His PowerPoint presentation was followed by a Q&A session in which he fielded queries about the territory’s past, present and future. In line with his recent blogs on the subject, Colin reiterated his view that the national security law is wide in scope, thus giving the authorities flexibility about how it will be interpreted and how rigorously it will be enforced. He told viewers that only in the coming weeks and months will we know the full scale of its impact.

Abraham Society committee member John Sueke commented: “It was a fascinating presentation about the history of Hong Kong and the events that have led up to the national security law being implemented. We are grateful to Colin not only for his talk but for patiently answering the many questions that followed. Our members really enjoyed the session.”

Colin Cohen addresses members of the Abraham Society from his office in Hong Kong.