Demosisto political mission changes weren’t aimed at helping Agnes Chow get elected, Joshua Wong says

The pro-democracy activist said the tweaks to the Chinese website were based on ‘minor shifts’ after years of work, but pro-establishment figure Ronny Tong interpreted it as a sign that the party was beginning to understand ‘political realities’

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(From left): Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Nathan Law were interviewed on radio on Monday, after Chow was banned from contesting the upcoming Legco by-election. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 2:15pm, 29 Jan 2018Updated: 11:30pm, 29 Jan 2018

Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung admitted on Monday that his party, Demosisto, had quietly removed from its mission statement suggestions that it rejected Chinese rule, but denied the change was made to help its candidate, Agnes Chow Ting, qualify to run in the Legislative Council by-election.

However, election authorities over the weekend banned Chow from contesting the Hong Kong Island seat in the March 11 polls, noting that her party had called for self-determination for the city, rendering her ineligible under rules to curb independence advocacy.

Wong and fellow party leader Nathan Law Kwun-chung said the changes to the mission statement, made only on the Chinese version of the party’s website, were based on “minor shifts” after years of work and to make the statement more accessible to laypeople.

The changes were made after Chow submitted her candidacy on January 18.

BEFORE: This screen grab shows the Chinese version of Demosisto’s website before the party made changes to its mission statement. It stated that Demosisto upheld ‘democratic self-determination’ as its highest doctrine. Photo: Handout

The original Chinese version stated that Demosisto upheld “democratic self-determination” as its “highest doctrine”, opposed the Chinese Communist Party and called for a popular referendum to push for the city’s autonomy.

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