Why Beijing's Hong Kong Crackdown Will Invite No Consequences As it clamps down ever tighter on press freedoms and civil liberties, China claims to have made things better for people in Hong Kong. Ordinary residents might beg to differ. Just when it seemed things in Hong Kong could not get much worse for those who value civic and political freedoms, they have. New arrests and jailings continue for critics of the city’s tough new policies, with more restrictions on assembly, press, and academic freedom on the way. The rule of law has become a sometimes thing when politics are involved and the atmosphere is gloomy for those who care.