Andy Chan of the Hong Kong Nationalist Party poses during an interview in the city on August 19
Two years after the end of chaotic pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, a number of young activists who were politically awakened by the movement hope to keep its spirit alive by running for political office on Sunday.
The young radicals hope to ride a rising tide of anti-Beijing sentiment and win seats on the Legislative Council. They’re up against both formidable pro-
Beijing parties and older pro-democracy ones.
At stake is the power to keep the city’s pro-Beijing leader and his government in check. The pro-democracy camp currently controls 27 of 70 seats, and must keep at least a third of the seats to retain its veto power.
The risk is that new candidates could split the pro-democracy vote, handing pro-Beijing parties more seats and allowing the government to enact controversial and unpopular laws, such as a long-stalled anti-subversion legislation or a Beijing-
backed electoral reform package. That in turn could spark a new round of protests and exacerbate widening divisions in the specially administered Chinese city.
Here are views from across Hong Kong’s political spectrum:
THE TEEN PROTEST LEADER
At 19, Joshua Wong is already a veteran of Hong Kong’s democracy battle. The slight, bespectacled activist shot to global prominence two years ago when his high school group Scholarism helped lead massive protests against Beijing’s plan for restricted elections for the city’s top leader. The protests brought key districts to a standstill for 11 weeks but did not gain concessions.
Now Wong’s new political party, Demosisto, is joining the election fray by fielding 23-year-old Nathan Law, another Occupy protest veteran. A minimum age requirement of 21 prevents Wong himself from running.
Amid rising calls for Hong Kong’s independence, Demosisto proposes a referendum on self-determination for Hong Kong after a transition period to Chinese rule ends in 2047. The city became Chinese territory in 1997 after Britain’s departure, but retains wide autonomy.
“We believe people should gain the right to determine their future,” Wong said.
Wong said recent incidents have added to fears Beijing is undermining Hong Kong’s rule of law and judicial independence. In the most prominent case, five booksellers were detained, including one suspected of being snatched by Chinese security agents and spirited across the border to the mainland.
“If Hong Kong does not have rule of law anymore, Hong Kong is not Hong Kong anymore,” Wong said.
THE SEPARATIST
A new crop of activist groups has sought to use the election to channel growing frustration, especially among young people, over Beijing’s uncompromising stance on Hong Kong. Many of these radical activist “localist” groups, which sprang up after the unresolved ending of the 2014 protests, espouse the view that Hong Kong’s interests come first. Some even demand independence for the city.
Despite there being no chance of separation, the government has tried to shut down the debate. Election officials disqualified six candidates with pro-independence views from running, including 25-year-old Andy Chan of the Hong Kong Nationalist Party, and warned others not to advocate the idea or it would take “follow-up actions.”
Hong Kong’s independence “is bound to occur. It’s the only way out,” said Chan. In an interview, Chan revealed few details about his group, such as how many members it has.
“The people of Hong Kong have fought for democracy for many years and have always respected the Chinese government,” he said.
Chan said he believes Hong Kongers should direct their demands to Beijing because “the Hong Kong government is only a puppet government, a colonial government. So our target all along has been the Chinese government.”
“The way I see it,” he added, “if Hong Kong becomes independent, if we break off the relationship, then we don’t need to beg the Beijing government for democracy. We will have democracy.”
THE ESTABLISHMENT
Former security chief Regina Ip is one of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-Beijing figures. In 2003, she spearheaded the government’s failed efforts to enact controversial anti-subversion legislation, which faced massive public opposition, with half a million people taking to the streets to protest against it.
Ip is now a lawmaker known for her hard-line views who’s running for re-election.
“Hong Kong has been highly polarized by the constitutional debate on how to elect the chief executive, by the Occupy Central movement,” Ip said. She said much public anger is stemming from income inequality.
Ip said young people are calling for independence because they feel marginalized by China’s economic rise, which leaves them feeling unable to compete for jobs. She said stalled democratic development is adding to the frustration, and that Hong Kong needs to become more competitive.
“I am trying to mobilize the silent majority to vote for reconciliation, to vote for a constructive way forward,” she said.
Ip said the idea of independence is a “non-starter.”
“We get all our water from the mainland, most of our fresh fruits are from the mainland, even our building materials, and a lot of business is from the mainland,” she said. “I don’t think Hong Kong can survive without the mainland.”
THE DEMOCRACY VETERAN
While the new crop of activist candidates and their older mainstream counterparts both want Beijing to back off and give Hong Kong genuine democracy, there are sharp disagreements over how to get what they want.
The activists slam the mainstream parties for using peaceful protests and negotiations with Beijing, saying that violence could be justified to achieve their aims. Mainstream pro-democracy parties believe that, under the “one country, two systems” framework, Hong Kong is part of China and they should fight to bring democracy to the mainland. The radicals disagree and say Hong Kong should focus only on itself.
Veteran pro-democracy lawmaker Emily Lau, who expects to step down after this election, said Hong Kong should brace for more confrontations in the streets and in the council chamber if radical candidates win seats. It’s already common there for the city’s Beijing-backed leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, to be heckled by his harshest critics. One threw a water glass at Leung two years ago.
Lau said bitter divisions in Hong Kong could be resolved by dumping the deeply unpopular Leung, whose term ends next summer. Disagreements over how to choose the next chief executive were at the heart of 2014’s pro-democracy protests, with Beijing requiring that candidates be screened.
“Hong Kong is now facing its darkest hour since 1997, because the city is completely split asunder, by the policy of C.Y. Leung and Beijing,” said Lau.
Pro-democracy candidates and even some from pro-Beijing parties are campaigning on the theme of replacing Leung. It’s still unclear whether Beijing will tap him for a second term but a big victory for the anti-Leung camp would pressure China’s Communist Party leaders to find someone else. Annie Ho, Kelvin Chan, Hong Kong, AP
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