What Agnes Chow’s election ban means for Joshua Wong and youth politics in Hong Kong

The government’s decision to disqualify a 21-year-old pro-democracy activist from the March 11 by-election has far-reaching implications on the city’s political landscape

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Despite her fresh-faced looks, Agnes Chow is no political greenhorn. Photo: David Wong

Published: 9:00am, 31 Jan 2018Updated: 5:07pm, 31 Jan 2018

Beneath her dewy, fresh-faced look and somewhat bashful smile, Agnes Chow Ting, 21, is a battle-hardened political savant as far as young Hongkongers go.

The pro-democracy activist was active in a campaign six years ago to force the government to retract a plan to introduce compulsory national education in schools. In 2014, she was at the front lines of the Occupy protests seeking greater democracy.

Recently, she renounced her UK citizenship and put her studies at Baptist University on hold – all in the name of becoming the city’s youngest-ever lawmaker.

Chow was gunning to win the Hong Kong Island seat in the upcoming Legislative Council by-election, where four seats need to be filled.

But last Saturday, she faced her biggest setback yet.

Hong Kong not unique in barring some from running in elections

Election authorities declared her ineligible to run on the grounds that her political party, Demosisto, had called for “self-determination” for the city, sparking a political storm.

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