Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp yesterday won a key by-election, with one young activist who advocates independence from China also taking tens of thousands of votes in closely watched polls at a time of rising political tension.
While it was a candidate from one of the older pro-democracy parties who won the election, the results showed growing support for the more radical “localist” movement, which advocates far greater autonomy from Beijing amid rising concerns over Chinese interference.
The movement grew out of the failure of pro-democracy rallies in 2014 to win concessions on political reform and advocates more radical tactics to force change.
Photo: AP
Student Edward Leung (梁天琦), 24, one of the leaders of localist group Hong Kong Indigenous, took more than 66,000 votes in the election held on Sunday in New Territories East — far more than observers expected.
That secured him third place behind pro-Beijing candidate Holden Chow (周浩鼎) in second and Alvin Yeung (楊岳橋) of the established pro-democracy Civic Party, who won the seat. Yeung took 160,880 votes to Chow’s 150,329 in the by-election, triggered when a pro-democracy politician stood down.
The seat in the mainly middle-class constituency in the north of Hong Kong is traditionally a democratic stronghold.
Leung’s slice of the vote was an indication of widening sympathy for localists, some of whom were involved in clashes with police earlier this month that left more than 100 injured.
Leung is facing a rioting charge for his involvement. He said his group must be taken more seriously after the election result.
“In the past, the government, political parties, mainstream media have billed us as rioters. Now we have a mandate from 66,000 voters,” Leung said.
Yeung has distanced himself from Leung’s radicalism, but said the result should make the government sit up and listen.
“The number of votes obtained by myself and Edward Leung is not trivial. It is reflecting a serious governance issue,” he said.
There is growing concern that freedoms guaranteed under the territory’s Basic Law are under threat as China seeks to stamp its authority on the territory. Political analyst Willy Lam (林和立), a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the pro-democracy camp must have been “very reassured” by the Civic Party’s win in the face of the failure of the pro-democracy rallies.
However, he added it was the localist movement that was gathering momentum.
“Hong Kong Indigenous garnered a lot more votes than people expected,” Lam said. “The fact they did so well shows these nativist ‘Hong Kong first’ sentiments have grown amongst young people.”
Lam said it could pave the way for more localist wins at legislative elections in September, in which student leader Joshua Wong’s (黃之鋒) pro-democracy campaign group Scholarism will also stand for office. The pro-Beijing camp casts democracy campaigners as a threat to stability and prosperity in Hong Kong. Beijing has dismissed localists as “separatists” — a label they do not shy away from.
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