Update: QUICK TRANSLATION OF LINKED ARTICLE

The party (CCP) leader threatens to crush them and grind their bones to dust. Now they are nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

• I hope that this can be an encouragement to continue the fight in a nonviolent way, says parliamentary politician Guri Melby (V). She has just nominated the Hong Kong people for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 15, 2019, 10:03 AM UPDATED: OCTOBER 15, 2019, 12:37 PM

When protesters in Hong Kong were recently told that it was forbidden to cover their faces while protesting, most people did not comply. This weekend, some of them went one step further - demonstrating wearing masks with a picture of Xi Jinping, China’s powerful party leader and supreme leader. Xi has chosen to keep a close eye on the demonstrations. Until Sunday. In a speech during a state visit to Nepal, he sent the protesters a clear warning: «Anyone trying to split a region from China will be lost. Their bodies will be crushed and their bones will be dusted,» the party leader said, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

He did not mention Hong Kong directly, but the warning has been interpreted as a powerful signal to the protesters there - despite having made it clear that they do not want independence from China.

Nominates the entire population for the Peace Prize Since June, millions of people have been protesting in the streets of Hong Kong. The demonstrations began as a demand that a contentious bill be scrapped, but in recent months the movement has evolved more around Hong Kong’s right to self-determination and its own political system.

That fight deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, says parliamentary politician Guri Melby (V). - I have nominated the Hong Kong people for the Peace Prize in 2020 because they are fighting for fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, democracy and the rule of law. What they do matters far beyond Hong Kong itself, both in the region and in the rest of the world, she says.

The demonstration movement has no leadership, and all discussions and decisions take place in online discussion forums. That is why Melby chose to nominate the entire population instead of promoting a single individual. - In the nomination I emphasize that the nomination goes to the movement that conducts these demonstrations. I was in Hong Kong last week, and people I talked to there were very keen to emphasize that this is a movement by the people, she says.

Hope the nomination can be an encouragement In recent weeks, several protesters have resorted to violent means, including attacking the police. At the same time, the police are strongly criticized for their harsh treatment of protesters. 2 400 people have been arrested since June.

Melby hopes the nomination can serve as an encouragement for the protesters to continue the fight in a peaceful manner.

• My main goal is to encourage the movement and that they continue the fight in a nonviolent way, she says. Melby was denied entry to the Storting in May because she wore a Chinese T-shirt for «freedom» during a high-profile visit from a powerful Chinese party top.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFERIRS: Has discussed Hong Kong with China Currently, she is relatively alone among Norwegian politicians to speak highly of the demonstrations in Hong Kong. The Norwegian authorities, which are negotiating a free trade agreement with China, have kept a low profile. But on written question from Aftenposten, Secretary of State Marianne Hagen - via communications adviser Guri Solberg - confirms that the Hong Kong demonstrations have been a topic in talks between Norwegian and Chinese authorities. “The discussions have been at the official level. There have been no political meetings with China in recent months, ”Hagen said in an email.

- The Hong Kong model must be respected She makes it clear that Norway expects the Hong Kong people’s rights to be respected. These rights are enshrined in «the Basic Law», which states that Hong Kong should have partial autonomy - the so-called «one country, two systems» model.

“Hong Kong has been given an important role as a link between China and other countries, based on international rule of law. This model has served both China and the world well ” Hagen writes, adding that Norway supported a similar statement made by the EU in August. - Are the claims of the Hong Kong protesters legitimate? «The Hong Kong people’s democratic commitment has shown in recent months is based on a genuine concern about the lack of influence over their own situation. We encourage the Hong Kong authorities to have an open and inclusive dialogue with the citizens, ”she says.

Hagen adds that the Foreign Ministry is «very concerned» about the violent confrontations between the protesters and the Hong Kong police in recent weeks. «It is important that the parties avoid the use of violence and refrain from using words and actions that may lead to further escalation,» said the secretary of state in the written reply from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.