A Hong Kong activist who promotes independence from China and was involved in recent street battles with police stood for office yesterday in a key by-election that highlights the territory’s political fault lines.
Edward Leung (梁天琦), 24, one of the leaders of “localist” group Hong Kong Indigenous, is vying to become a legislator after a prominent pro-democracy politician stepped down.
Leung is taking on six other contenders for the New Territories East seat, including candidates from pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps.
Photo: EPA
Since massive rallies in 2014 calling for fully free leadership elections failed to win concessions from Beijing, young protesters like Leung have become increasingly disillusioned with the more established pro-democracy parties.
Smaller groups have emerged under a “localist” banner, pushing for greater autonomy and even independence from China, as fears over interference from Beijing grow.
Their frustrations spilt over into violence earlier this month when running street battles left more than 100 injured after masked protesters hurled bricks at police, who fired warning shots in the air.
Leung is facing a rioting charge for his involvement.
“Hongkongers are the masters of their own soil,” Leung said yesterday.
“I will defend Hong Kong people’s interests and Hong Kong people’s rights,” he told reporters.
Leung is not tipped to win, but his candidacy would be a barometer of how much support the fledgling localist movement can garner at the ballot box.
“I voted for him. We need to speak out about what’s happening,” a 56-year-old engineer surnamed Cheung said. “It’s completely understandable that young people want change.”
Others urged calm.
“We should not be radical,” a 40-year-old voter surnamed Yeung said.
“Any problems should be dealt with peacefully and rationally,” she said.
Observers said Alvin Yeung (楊岳橋) of the established pro-democracy Civic Party or Holden Chow (周浩鼎) of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong are most likely to win.
School bullies in Singapore are to face caning under new guidelines, but the education minister on Tuesday said it would be meted out only as a last resort with strict safeguards. Human rights groups regularly criticize Singapore for the use of corporal punishment, which remains part of the school and criminal justice systems, but authorities have defended it as a deterrent to crime and serious misconduct. Caning was discussed in the parliament after legislators asked how it would be used in relation to bullying in schools. The debate followed stricter guidelines on serious student misconduct, including bullying, unveiled by the Singaporean Ministry of
As evening falls in Fiji’s capital, a steady stream of people approaches a makeshift clinic that is a first line of defense against one of the world’s fastest-growing HIV epidemics. In the South Pacific nation — a popular tourist destination of just under a million people — more than 2,000 new HIV cases were recorded last year, a 26 percent increase from 2024. The government has declared an HIV outbreak and described it as a national crisis. “It’s spreading like wildfire,” said Siteri Dinawai, 46, who came to be tested. The Moonlight Clinic, a converted minibus parked in a suburban cul-de-sac in Suva, is
A MESSAGE: Japan’s participation in the Balikatan drills is a clear deterrence signal to China not to attack Taiwan while the US is busy in the Middle East, an analyst said The Japan Self-Defense Forces yesterday fired a Type 88 anti-ship missile during a joint maritime exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces, hitting a decommissioned Philippine Navy ship in waters facing the disputed South China Sea, in drills that underscore Tokyo’s rising willingness to project military power on China’s doorstep. The drill took place as Manila and Tokyo began talks on a potential defense equipment transfer, made possible by Japan’s decision to scrap restrictions on military exports. The discussions include the possible early transfer of Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft to the Philippines, Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. Philippine Secretary of
Separatists in Alberta are preparing to submit a petition tomorrow that they said has enough signatures to force a referendum on independence for the oil-rich Canadian province. Polls indicate the pro-independence camp remains a minority among Alberta’s 5 million people, but has hit a historic high of roughly 30 percent. Alberta separatists are also closer than ever to forcing a referendum, riding momentum fueled by intensifying grievances over Ottawa’s control of the provincial oil industry. They have also undeniably gotten a boost from the return to power of US President Donald Trump. After launching a petition in January, Stay Free Alberta, the group
RSS