Hong Kong's pan-democrats face a steep climb to universal suffrage
Those battling for 'true democracy' for the past 30 years have not lost heart - despite tough rules on vote for the next chief executive in 2017
For Albert Ho Chun-yan, who has spent three decades fighting for universal suffrage, the tough ruling by Beijing on Hong Kong's next chief executive election did not come as any surprise.
"I have never been too optimistic," says Ho, former chairman of the Democratic Party. "Hong Kong's road to democracy is always linked with China. It's destined to be a long, hard fight."
The National People's Congress Standing Committee's decision on August 31 to impose tough rules on the city's first popular vote in 2017 - restricting the number of candidates and ensuring they meet with Beijing's approval - dashed many Hongkongers' hopes for democracy.
The framework, giving a 1,200-member nominating committee the sole power to name candidates, and requiring that more than half the members back the aspirants - is so restrictive it has given the city little leeway to give people a genuine choice of candidates, critics say.
The election reform exercise has virtually collapsed, even before next month's second stage of consultation. Pan-democrats have vowed to boycott it and veto the model.
Beijing blames pan-democrats for failing to negotiate properly, while stressing national security must not be compromised by Hong Kong's political reforms.