Introduction
Event: Agnes Chow, a Hong Kong activist, is going to Canada after her arrest on charges of participation in protests for democratization. She fears that persecution in Hong Kong and seeking asylum will be her only way of escape.
Research Question: The media’s focus is the violation of the right to seek asylum and the broader human rights issues. How do news media organizations portray these issues in their Humanization? The framing of the violation of the right to asylum and the broader human rights issues around Agnes Chow’s flight to Canada by the media organizations is the focus. Therefore, how do news media cover these issues?
Thesis Statement: Although the media represents Agnes Chow’s escape to Canada as a flashpoint in a more extensive debate on violating the right to political asylum, evident biases and influences of politics and power exercise at the international level are present. Some will claim Hong Kong’s opposition to the One-Country Two-Systems policy or a seeker of asylum because of political persecution. In contrast, others will present her as a threat to national security, which shades the public perception and curtails the discussion on human rights, especially in the context of Hong Kong-China tension.
Opposition/Alternate Argument: Others might argue that Agnes Chow’s flight to Canada undermines the laws of the country, and the judicial processes in Hong Kong have grounded her classification as a fugitive and not an asylum seeker. According to this approach, her behavior is thought to possess restoring powers to regional safety and stability.
Human Right: Right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution (UDHR Article 14).
Rhetorical Analysis:
Through the wording, the China Daily editorial bill shows Agnes Chow as a criminal who escapes from legal procedures and blurs the prospect of Hong Kong’s existence by escaping from the law. Conversely, The New York Times uses the words of sympathy by presenting the former Hong Kong residents now living in Manhattan as the ones who left HK because of the political persecution there. In its article, the Times needs to have the allegiance that matters, summarizing only the technical itinerary rather than taking a prominent stance favoring the petition, thus trying to be unbiased.
Background
The subject in this case was Agnes Chow, an eminent Hong Kong freedom advocate who created waves in the international media when she sought to be tried in court in Hong Kong, and therefore, she fled to Canada. Chow skipped his bail and eventually fled abroad when political unrest was rising, and the Hong Kong government was dealing with protests concerning national security law right after its implementation (Yuyan and Ashraf 2). This policy, however, was another form of control over the pro-democracy movements in the semi-autonomous region, and it rapidly took the shape of a protest and international disapproval.
Chow’s arrest in 2020 and other dissenters like Jimmy Lai signaled Beijing’s further attempt to get a firmer grasp of Hong Kong, not to mention its zero tolerance for political grumble. The authorities charged advocate Chow with allegedly conspiring with external forces, a charge whose meaning alongside the proposed national security laws is too broad and open-ended, and the penalties include life imprisonment (Yuyan and Ashraf 3). On bail and fleeing, Chow decided to run to Canada and intended to attend a university here. In an Instagram post, she declared that she would not be going directly to Hong Kong, though her chances of going back there again run very slim.
Such recklessness by Chow provoked furious reprimand and criticism from Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, who accused her of acting as an insult and attempting to overthrow the law. The leader of Hong Kong proclaimed wholeheartedly that it would do anything necessary to apprehend Chow and that she was out of alternatives but to surrender to justice. It is worth mentioning that China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary voiced his belief that even the ones at the top should be punishable when lawbreaker. The law should punish them.
The plane to Canada, when authorities reacted, resulted in Hong Kong accelerating tensions and systematically degenerating human rights. However, the said endeavor reflects civil liberties and the rule of law in eliminating space under the drastic expansion of Beijing in the area. Media, the world brightly presents Chow’s case, putting it in the spotlight on the impacts of this case on democracy and human rights in Hong Kong and on the ongoing struggle of these people for independence and freedom in the face of comprehensive encroachment by authoritarian regimes.
Counter Argument
Alternative View of Event/Human Right:
From the alternative perspective, Agnes Chow’s fleeing to Canada is that it is an example of how lawlessness and a lack of order can be a damaging force in Hong Kong. No doubt, this viewpoint holds that through his evasion of court proceedings and his flight from the city, Chow worries about the law and thus sets a bad example for everyone else, only to give up any sense of accountability. The second issue it brings to attention is Chow’s attempt to abscond to a foreign country, which sickens him and casts doubt on the validity of the city’s justice system and sovereignty.
Evidence for Counter (1 source):
`The Hong Kong government’s statement on the issue that Agnes Chow has escaped from her legal responsibility through beating the electoral and disbarment requires a consideration of the given counter-argument. The government’s announcement that it will put all its efforts into delivering justice is a portrayal that society thinks that Chow’s behavior is unacceptable and that she represents a challenge to the law. Aside from that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China says the law is impartial regardless of the status of the individual. Moreover, reports of those who conduct illegal activities will be suppressed.
Rebuttal
Beyond enforcing the rule of law and fielding the individuals’ accountability, the relevance of the general settings where Chow was obliged to escape running must be considered. The pointing of the Gun in Hong Kong suggests that the defense of national security can impinge on citizens’ civil liberties and political freedoms. Chow’s accelerating flight can be interpreted not as avoiding legal obligations but as a rebound against this depressing state of human rights deterioration. Besides, she declared her protest as a social instability problem instead of recognizing the reasons for the revolt: riots and system weakness. Therefore, even as the law is bound to the protection of a democratic system, it should allow for the underlying causes of oppression to be addressed. Such efforts would seek to restore respect for human rights and democratic principles at the justice system’s core.
Body Paragraph Model (x3)
In this context, the coverage of Agnes Chow’s case in the media has ultimately portrayed a complete picture of human rights that necessitates careful framing. The China Daily article is known as the” paper of government position and uses demonizing rhetoric to depict Chow as a traitor to the country” ‘s national security. She is adjectivally labeled as “shameless,” and the government depicts that she can destabilize Hong Kong completely; this argument maintains the possibility of pursuing her (Yuyan and Ashraf 3). Nevertheless, no matter how the government condemns Chow’s acts as treason, her fundamental right- freedom of expression and dissent- still should be recognized, and her activism is regarded as legitimate resistance instead of subversion (Yuyan and Ashraf 4).
While The New York Times article chooses an empathetic rhetoric that casts Chow as a victim of political persecution, the Guardian article proceeds from the assumption that Chow is the culprit of serious international crimes. TNT deliberately contextualizes the girl runs past the barbed wires in a broader manner than a crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong and eventually portrays this action as more than just a challenge to the rule of authoritarian mercilessness, but the significance of preserving the foundation of rights (May 2). Thus, the temporal manifestation of Chow’s pain is transferred to the reader through this empathetic framing, thus creating a dire need to protect fundamental human rights against the encroachment of authoritarian regimes.
While this article in The Times largely stays with the flying aspect of the stories and does not explain the political ideologies of Chow, the Times article aligns with the view that neutrality is key (May 2). Although this neutrality may avoid the explicit staking of a clear position on the human rights issue, it can be viewed as an oversight of the context of political repression, which takes a broader view of the importance of ensuring fundamental freedoms. By not condemning or sympathizing with Chow’s actions, the story takes up a neutral perspective that could sanitize the situation; it also tones down and possibly camouflages the broader human rights issues at stake.
As a result, these different media-channeled techniques from different viewpoints contribute to the complexity of human rights issues, which Agnes Chow fled abroad. These cases show how it has been possible for the media to mold the public perception and construct narratives about political unrest and the suppression of freedom of expression in the governance of Hong Kong by Authoritarianism (May 1). Through a critical evaluation of the disparate depictions, we will be able to understand the details of these happenings in a better way, as well as the associated difficulties of the activists who keep fighting for justice and democracy all over the world.
Conclusion
Eventually, the exploration of mainstream media portrayal of Agnes Chow’s escape to Canada leads us to the intricate possibility of a human right being portrayed and reported in public. A vast range of media outlets can apply many different rhetorical techniques, and it can be noted that they have entirely different views on Chow’s actions/the underlying human rights concerns. Consequently, they fully diverge in their understanding and interpretation of the issue. Of course, a few information sources vilify an individual like Margaret Chow as a national threat. In contrast, others can get deeper underneath the surface and understand her as a victim of political oppression, but other news sources remain indifferent.
This article shows that media framing is an essential determinant factor shaping how people understand human rights’ nature, especially in authoritarian countries like Hong Kong. Individuals develop an accurate understanding of the intricate dynamics of human rights narratives through critical viewing or reading of media representations. They also acquire insights into the difficulties experienced by activists such as Agnes Chow. Consequently, the study goes beyond the issue at hand as it has broader implications that are the interests of this work; hence, it points to the media and media’s role in democracy, democratic values, and accountability.
Finally, this essay defines the necessity of close attention to the media myths surrounding human rights matters in their turn and the persistence of campaigning and action to maintain the most primitive human values. Through participation in the thinking process and scrutiny of the existing narratives, people can take up the role of an accomplice, improving the state of affairs regarding human rights to the extent both within Hong Kong and at global levels.
References
May Tiffany (2023). New York Times Agnes Chow, a Hong Kong Activist, Fled to Canada and Is not Likely to Returnhttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/04/world/asia/hong-kong-agnes-chow-activist.html
Yuyan & Ashraf (2023). HK leader calls Agnes Chow ‘shameless’ for jumping bail https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202312/06/WS656fd312a31090682a5f1ac1.html