The outlier: Hong Kong lawmaker Ronny Tong clashed with Civic Party on political reform
Civic Party founding member Ronny Tong is quitting the party after an at times uneasy relationship when he stood apart from colleagues on the key issue of reform
When he took the helm of the Hong Kong Bar Association on January 21, 1999, Ronny Tong Ka-wah told the media he would refrain from commenting on political issues.
But there was no shortage of controversy during his two-year tenure.
The mild-mannered barrister was frequently drawn away from his commercial law practice to react to the latest political developments, hurriedly arranging emergency meetings, and issuing press statements.
Eight days after his election as Bar chairman, the Court of Final Appeal ruled that mainland Chinese children born before their parents became Hong Kong permanent residents were entitled to right of abode in the city.
In June 1999, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee made an interpretation of the Basic Law that effectively overruled the city’s top court in the right-of-abode case.