Activist hoping to lead Civil Human Rights Front assembles campaign team Veteran activist Jackie Hung Ling-yu is seeking the leadership of the Civil Human Rights Front as the group prepares to step up actions ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover. Some members believe that with the return of a charismatic leader, the group, which has been criticised for focusing solely on organising the annual July 1 protests, can live up to the expectations of community groups by championing other social issues. Ahead of the group's annual leadership reshuffle, which will take place during the general meeting on October 16, Ms Hung said she was assembling a team to contest the leadership. 'What I am hoping to achieve is to bring full co-operation among Front member groups so that we can live up to being a platform for voices from the community. 'It is of pressing importance to organise social forces in the run-up to the 10th anniversary of the handover, as we will have a lot to do in the election year and another massive July 1 protest in the coming year,' Ms Hung said. The Front, which has more than 50 member groups, has been accused by some members of failing to adequately reflect the voices of community groups, as its main focus was on organising the march. It was also accused of being dominated by political parties during the constitutional reform saga at the expense of other interests. Ms Hung said that although the Front would not take part in the Election Committee election and next year's chief executive race, because of its 'small-circle' nature, it would complement its political allies' action. 'The Front remains the strongest joint platform today in Hong Kong to fight for democracy.' Ms Hung said candidates for the posts of two vice-convenors and two sub-committee chairmen would include unionists and gay-rights activists. Bobo Yip Po-lam, one outgoing vice-convenor, said Ms Hung was a suitable candidate to lead the Front. 'There is much to do for the 10th anniversary of the handover, and having a heavyweight to lead the Front would help strengthen our alliance.' Ms Hung, who is the wife of The Frontier district councillor Andrew To Kwan-hang, is a core activist of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese and is close to Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, leader of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong. She was named an 'Asian Hero' by Time magazine in 2004 for her efforts in helping to organise the first two July 1 marches in 2003 and 2004. The Front's current convenor is Chung Chung-fai.
