After five long months of unrest in Hong Kong, what are the protesters still fighting for? Many have proudly said the non-violent and violent protests are for democracy. To “Free Hong Kong.” To “Liberate Hong Kong.” But what does that really mean?

What Hongkongers cannot say — what they are forbidden to say — is that the protests are for independence. They want to become a city-state free to govern themselves along the lines of Singapore or Monaco. They want to be free to govern themselves like Taiwan. But no one can legally say this because to do so is an illegal act in Hong Kong.