Twelve Hong Kong pro-democracy candidates, including Joshua Wong, were not allowed to run in September’s legislative elections. This was a decision denounced by the opposition as a new blow to freedoms in the semi-autonomous region.
In a statement, the Hong Kong government announced that it supports the decision not to authorize candidacies, while opponents highlight a “climate of terror”.
Hong Kong citizens are due to appear at the polls in September for the Legislative Council (LegCo, local parliament) elections, which will be crucial nine months after the pro-democracy movement’s triumph in local elections.
The former British colony in 2019 experienced its worst political crisis since 1997, when it returned to Chinese sovereignty.
“I have just been disqualified for the LegCo elections, after having been the big winner in the primaries,” Joshua Wong said on Twitter. This is one of the best known activists in Hong Kong and who was one of the leaders of the so-called “Umbrella Revolution” of 2014.
In mid-July, more than 600,000 voters participated in the primaries organized by the pro-democracy parties in this territory of 7.5 million inhabitants.
“Beijing demonstrates total contempt for the will of the citizens of Hong Kong, steps in the autonomy of the city and tries to keep the Hong Kong legislature under its firm control,” wrote Wong.
He also considered the measure “the biggest crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement” and said the authorities vetoed “almost all pro-democracy candidates, from progressive youth groups to traditional moderate parties”.
Another opponent, Nathan Law, exiled in London, also denounced the “suppression of any form of resistance in Hong Kong through fear and intimidation”.
The last British governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, denounced an “outrageous political purge”.
“Obviously it is now illegal to believe in democracy (…) It is the kind of behavior you would expect in a police state,” he said in a statement.
The Liaison Office, the Chinese representation in Hong Kong, praised the invalidity of the candidacies and said that the political opinions of the activists “have crossed the line of acceptable”.
“How could the Hong Kong legislative body allow these unscrupulous criminals who want to destroy‘ one country, two systems “and Hong Kong’s prosperity in its chamber?” Asked the institution in a statement.
Several eliminated candidates confirmed the decision on social media, such as Gwyneth Ho, Lester Shum, Tiffany Yuen and Fergus Leung.
The Civic Party, one of the most well-known formations of the pro-democracy movement, announced that the candidacies of four of its members were not authorized: Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok, Kwok Ka-ki and Cheng Tat-hung.
The Legislative Council has 70 members appointed under a complex system, which almost always ensures the victory of the pro-Beijing bloc.
Only 35 deputies are elected by universal vote and the rest are appointed by entities linked to the Beijing political line.
Pro-democracy movements hoped to translate the success of mobilization on the streets into votes last year into votes.
For six months of 2019, Hong Kong was the scene of virtually daily demonstrations to defend freedoms and denounce China’s interference in the themes of the semi-autonomous region.
The popularity of the claims was confirmed in the local elections in November, marked by the triumph of the pro-democracy camp, which now controls 17 of the territory’s 18 districts.
“It is clear that more and more Hong Kong citizens are expected to suffer (…) Communist terror,” denounced a confederation of 13 student unions, known as Students Unions of Higher Institutions.
