Dr Horace Chin Wan-kan opens district office in Tai Wai
The Lingnan University scholar, known for his localist stance, opened his community office in the heart of a residential neighbourhood in Tai Wai in the New Territories, ahead of the Legislative Council election in September
A Lingnan University scholar, known for his localist stance, opened his office in the heart of a residential neighbourhood in Tai Wai in the New Territories on Sunday, ahead of the Legislative Council election in September.
Dr Horace Chin Wan-kan, 54, an assistant professor in the university’s Chinese department, opened his district office near Chik Fuk Street, just days before Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress was set to arrive in Hong Kong on Tuesday for a New Silk Road forum.
“The reason to open an office here is to promote the idea of de facto referendum to change the Basic Law so that we can have a constitution which fits Hong Kong’s status quo,” Chin said on Sunday after the opening ceremony.
Chin, also leader of a group called Hong Kong Resurgence, insisted he was not advocating full secession from the regime in mainland China “unless the Beijing government asks [Hong Kong] to do so”.
“For my stance, it is to fight for the autonomy as promised in the Basic Law because many autonomies promised in the Basic Law have not been granted or exercised by the government. You may refer to me as a constitutionist.”
The ceremony was attended by more than 100 people, including members of radical group Civic Passion and radical lawmaker Raymond Wong Yuk-man.
Chin, the author of award-winning 2011 book, Hong Kong as a City-state, has been regarded by some in the city as a key founder of the localist movement in Hong Kong.
He will leave Lingnan University after his employment contract expires in August.
Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung previously said the government was studying whether pro-independence advocates had broken any laws by setting up a new political party.
The Post approached the rural committee of Tai Wai Village about the set-up of the office in the neighbourhood.
An indigenous villager, who did not wish to disclose his name, said the rural committee knew nothing about the establishment of Chin’s office beforehand, and said he only hopes no one would disturb the villagers in the area.