Hong Kong leaders jailed over pro-democracy protests

  1. Hong Kong court has jailed four leaders of 2014 pro-democracy protests amid heightened concerns over the decline of freedoms in the China-ruled Hong Kong.
  2. The protests started in reaction to a decision made by China that it would allow direct elections in 2017 but only from a list of candidates pre-approved by China.
  3. The protests were known as the Umbrella Movement after people used umbrellas to shield themselves from pepper spray fired by police to disperse the crowd.
  4. Protesters have accused the Chinese government of breaking its promise to allow full democracy in Hong Kong and of encroaching more and more on the region.
  5. Hong Kong was a former British colony till 1997.It was handed back to China on a condition that Hong Kong would be given a high degree of autonomy,except in foreign and defence affairs for 50 years.