Facing closure, the league hopes to woo recruits at this week's June 4 vigil
The youth league of the Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China could be disbanded due to low membership.
Patrick Chow, chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance Youth Group, said the future of the league would hinge on the number of recruits who sign up during the June 4 candle-light vigil at Victoria Park on Wednesday. 'I'm worried [about the league being disbanded]. That's why I'm very anxious to know how many members we can recruit during the June 4 vigil,' Mr Chow, 25, said.
'We hope that through arousing people's interest... we can encourage them to actively participate. If we could achieve that when the current term of office expires [next March], it will not be so hard to find executive committee members,' he said.
In recent years, 'passing the torch of democracy to the next generation' has become one of the main tasks at the anniversary candle-light vigil. It is also against this backdrop that the youth group, which is seeking youngsters aged between 15 and 25, was set up in March last year.
While membership peaked at about 100 after the June 4 vigil last year, only about 20 members have renewed their membership.
The response to various activities, such as youth camps and seminars on social and democracy issues, had also been disappointing, he said. Sometimes, only about 10 young people - including executive council members - attended seminars.
