A year after protests began in Hong Kong against a proposed Chinese extradition law, it is clear that Beijing will not reverse their systematic violation of human rights and democracy in the region. It is also obvious that the people of Hong Kong have no intention of backing down in their defence of their traditional liberties.

During the handover, the United Kingdom promised Hongkongers that their rights and freedoms would be protected, and there would be progress towards universal suffrage. The Sino-British Joint Declaration enshrining these promises was lodged with the United Nations.

Two decades later, the “one country, two systems” arrangement is a shadow of what it was supposed to be, mocked by Beijing officials as a “historical document”.

Over the last year there