HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong’s largest pro-Democratic party was granted the task of its members to move towards potential dissolution on Sunday, part of the erosion of political freedom as China’s dissent against southern cities faced opposition.
Democratic Party Chairman Lo Kin-Hei said more than 90% of the members who participated in the vote supported the motion to bring the Central Committee into the dissolution process. He said he hopes a final vote will be held in the coming months.
The party’s decision reflects the semi-autonomous and freedom promised by the former British colonies when they resumed Chinese rule in 1997.
Lo said earlier that the decision was made based on the current political situation and social climate. Party veterans told the Associated Press that some members would be warned of the consequences if the party did not close.
In 2019, large-scale anti-government protests led to China’s imposition of a comprehensive national security law that was used to prosecute many leading activists. Some former legislators of the party are now in prison and the party is absent after authorities overhauled the electoral system to ensure only “patriots” can operate.
Founded in 1994, the Democratic Party is one of the few remaining pro-democracy groups, and still speaks out from time to time after dozens of civil society groups are closed under the shadow of security laws. These include the city’s second-largest supporter of the Democratic Party and a decades-old group that organized an annual vigil in 1989 to mark the crackdown of the Tiammanians in Beijing.
The party has long positioned itself as a force for medium democracy. Some of its former members joined the government as senior officials. Its willingness to negotiate with Beijing led to its proposal being incorporated into its 2010 political reform plan, a move that has sparked severe criticism from some members and other democratic advocates who hope for more changes.
Notable party members include Martin Lee, nicknamed the “Father of Democracy”, Albert Ho is the former leader of the group that organized the Tiananmen Vigils, and Emily Lau, the journalist-turned-activity.
Law and former MP Fred Li were members of the Sunday meeting.
