Participation in Hong Kong protests has dropped over 65% over fears of political persecution after Beijing imposed a draconian national security law on the city, an Apple Daily survey found.

Of the 323 Hongkongers randomly surveyed on the streets, 80% said they were more worried about voicing out political views or chanting protest slogans after the enforcement of the controversial law on June 30.

99.6% claimed themselves to belong to the pro-democracy camp and more than half of the respondents said they were aged between 21 to 30.

According to a survey conducted by Apple Daily three months after the new law was introduced, participation in posting on Lennon Walls has plunged over 70%, similar to the decline in the amount of people who chanted protest slogans from their homes.

Over 65% also said they have refrained from taking part in street marches or rallies. However, only about 10% said they have stopped supporting pro-democracy businesses.

Significant changes can also be observed in the use of protest slogans. Of the 188 surveyed who said they had used the phrase “Hongkongers, resist” on social media or in public before, only 56 have continued to do so. Of the 127 who claimed to have chanted “Hong Kong independence” in public, only 58 have persisted after the end of June.

The less confrontational slogan of “Hongkongers, add oil” saw the least drop in usage.

More than 55% of the survey respondents admitted that they have become less involved in the anti-government movement because of the new law.

Among them, 34% cited fears of personal safety, while close to 30% said they were worried about getting their friends and family into trouble. About 20% felt they could not change the situation in Hong Kong, and close to 10% said they felt the penalties prescribed under the new law were too severe.

To put together a more objective picture, Apple Daily has also commissioned data analysts at ASIAM to study the social media activities in Hong Kong over the last three months. Their findings revealed that the enthusiasm to react to or comment on posts related to politics or protests has cooled gradually.

ASIAM Director of Analytics & Strategy Joe Lee attributed the decline to the implementation of the national security law and the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, alongside news fatigue experienced by Hongkongers. “Afterall, it has been a whole year. There have been protests every month, and people may begin to react less and less,” Lee noted.

Lee also remarked that phrases such “Liberate Hong Kong” and “Hong Kong independence” have become less common after the Hong Kong government said they may be at odds with the new law.

That said, the use of these “sensitive phrases” saw a boost during certain dates, such as the day after the pan-democrats' primary election on July 13 and on July 30, when the police first arrested people on national security charges.

Lee expected those who are willing to make their stances clear would continue their practice online.

Beijing slapped a national security law on Hong Kong after China’s rubber-stamp parliament passed it unanimously in June. The four major offenses, including subversion, terrorism, secession and collusion with foreign forces, carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

So far, 28 people have been arrested under the controversial legislation.

Click here for Chinese version.

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