https://www.scmp.com/rss/505797/feed The 2020 Hong Kong Legislative Council elections were due to take place on September 6, 2020. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A Hong Kong opposition activist has been arrested again for allegedly violating his bail conditions by making remarks and committing acts that could endanger national security. Owen Chow Ka-shing, who was out on bail ahead of his subversion trial, was arrested when he reported back to North Point Police Station on Wednesday night, according to a brief post on his Facebook page on the same day. Chow was told he had violated the bail conditions, and a video interview with police was being... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3163149/hong-kong-activist-arrested-again-allegedly-violating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3163149/hong-kong-activist-arrested-again-allegedly-violating?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jan 2022 14:23:27 +0000 A number of interesting questions arise when looking ahead to the Legislative Council elections in December. The answers will determine the stance of the different parties as they plan their participation. We need to start with a quick recap of what our legislature will look like after recent reforms. The number of seats will increase from 70 to 90. The Election Committee, newly expanded from 1,200 to 1,500, can elect 40 of its members to Legco. The number of functional constituency seats will... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3145788/what-expect-elections-hong-kongs-reformed-legislature?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3145788/what-expect-elections-hong-kongs-reformed-legislature?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Aug 2021 05:30:17 +0000 The government is gearing up for a series of elections, with a powerful body set up to disqualify those who do not bear allegiance to the city and uphold its Basic Law, or mini-constitution. The appointees are no doubt safe choices from Beijing’s perspective, but their task to screen out the “unpatriotic” is a high-stakes affair. While they are expected to toe the firm line on national security, their decisions will determine whether there is still room for opposition. The line-up of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3140972/vetting-body-should-give-those-willing-serve-city-chance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3140972/vetting-body-should-give-those-willing-serve-city-chance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jul 2021 12:02:46 +0000 The passing of legislation to implement sweeping electoral reforms in Hong Kong is a pivotal moment for the city’s political system. It marks the end of a process that began in late March when the National People’s Congress Standing Committee unanimously approved dramatic changes. But challenges remain if the government is to convince opposition candidates to participate and voters to embrace the new arrangements. Much work remains to be done to sell the reforms and to persuade the community the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3135112/focus-now-build-confidence-hong-kongs-new-electoral-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3135112/focus-now-build-confidence-hong-kongs-new-electoral-system?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 May 2021 13:59:59 +0000 Hong Kong passed a landmark bill on Thursday to drastically reshape its electoral system and meet Beijing’s bottom line that only “patriots” should be allowed to govern the city, effectively expanding the influence of pro-establishment forces in key political bodies. The legislation, following the social unrest that rocked Hong Kong in 2019, further sidelines a dwindling opposition accused by authorities of trying to sabotage and paralyse governance. With nearly all opposition lawmakers ousted... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3135008/hong-kong-elections-beijing-overhaul-will-bring-stability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3135008/hong-kong-elections-beijing-overhaul-will-bring-stability?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 May 2021 04:31:12 +0000 Veteran Hong Kong democrat Albert Ho Chun-yan, 69, is struggling to get used to his new pair of plastic black-framed spectacles that lend him an oddly bookish air. Gone are his signature metal-framed glasses. Hong Kong prisons ban personal items with metallic parts and Ho’s wife of more than three decades, Tang Suk-yee, told him to get used to wearing the new pair early.  It was a scorching Sunday afternoon last weekend when Ho met This Week in Asia at his flat in Tin Hau, near Causeway... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3134410/hong-kongs-democratic-party-last-major-opposition-group-standing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3134410/hong-kongs-democratic-party-last-major-opposition-group-standing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 May 2021 01:00:20 +0000 The Legislative Council is planning two building extensions to accommodate 20 extra lawmakers under Beijing’s overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system, with temporary offices for members rented elsewhere in the city during construction works potentially lasting more than three years. To accelerate the project and keep costs down, the new offices in the Admiralty complex are expected to be built using prefabricated modular units, made off-site and brought to the legislature for assembly. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3132912/hong-kong-elections-reform-two-building-extensions-planned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3132912/hong-kong-elections-reform-two-building-extensions-planned?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 May 2021 09:24:39 +0000 In Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, “renewed” by the departure of 19 pro-democracy lawmakers following the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s decision on the removal of Legco members last November, the legislative process has moved forward at a much brisker pace that was undreamed of for years. The legislature passed a record seven bills, including the budget, in one day on April 28. The committee set up to study over 600 pages of complex amendments to electoral rules completed its... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3132593/how-will-hong-kongs-electoral-system-reform-play-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3132593/how-will-hong-kongs-electoral-system-reform-play-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 May 2021 00:45:13 +0000 A plan to allow the postponement of a geographical constituency’s elections to the Hong Kong legislature in the event of a candidate’s death or disqualification during the race has been shelved amid strong opposition from pro-establishment lawmakers. The now-dropped proposal was one of a series of changes the government put forward for its Improving Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Bill 2021 following a week of scrutiny by a Legislative Council committee. Expected to pass next month,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3131803/planned-hong-kong-elections-rule-delaying-specific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3131803/planned-hong-kong-elections-rule-delaying-specific?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Apr 2021 10:04:33 +0000 Washington on Friday defended its diplomats in Hong Kong as simply doing their jobs after a judge revealed the local consulate’s repeated coffee invitations to a former lawmaker charged under the national security law had prompted her to revoke his bail. In a statement to the Post, a US State Department spokesman said the country was “appalled” at what he characterised as the growing number of politically motivated prosecutions in Hong Kong, and noted that it was routine for diplomats to meet... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3130850/national-security-law-us-defends-diplomats-hong-kong-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3130850/national-security-law-us-defends-diplomats-hong-kong-after?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Apr 2021 10:50:57 +0000 Why is the government so concerned about people casting blank ballots, spoiling their ballot papers or not showing up to vote? Has there not just been a massive signature collection campaign in which 2.38 million people in Hong Kong certified their support for the electoral improvements? It is, I think, reasonable to presume that each of these signatories would continue to show their support by turning out in December to cast their votes for one of the Legislative Council candidates chosen for... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3130268/hong-kong-elections-why-worry-about-protest-ballots-when-there-mass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3130268/hong-kong-elections-why-worry-about-protest-ballots-when-there-mass?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Apr 2021 22:55:15 +0000 With the Legislative Council currently devoid of opposition, pro-Beijing lawmakers have passed amendments to the house rules that they say will make the operation more efficient. These include limiting members’ speaking time and suspending members for “grossly disorderly conduct”. For many people who have had enough of the filibustering by some pan-democrats in recent years, the changes are long overdue. But there are also concerns that checks and balances will be compromised as a result. The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127231/hong-kongs-legco-rule-changes-must-not-go-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127231/hong-kongs-legco-rule-changes-must-not-go-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Mar 2021 21:45:42 +0000 In a widely seen online video clip, former Hong Kong Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing poses this question that’s no doubt on the minds of many people. The short answer is, he doesn’t think so. He is probably right. When Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor called off the election scheduled for September last year, the ostensible reason was because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The real reason, I think we can now safely state, was the impending overhaul of the election system... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3126847/will-there-be-hong-kong-legislative-council-election-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3126847/will-there-be-hong-kong-legislative-council-election-year?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Mar 2021 22:06:35 +0000 Has 2047 arrived early for Hong Kong’s electoral politics? Having created functional constituencies to ensure safe hands would dominate the Legislative Council in the final years of British rule, the departing colonial authorities opened a few seats to direct election and infused the legislature with a sense of importance, such as by introducing governor’s question time. Beijing was willing to let Hong Kong experiment with elections then. It assumed that by 2007, a decade after the transition,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3125821/hong-kong-election-reform-beijing-demanding-loyalty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3125821/hong-kong-election-reform-beijing-demanding-loyalty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Mar 2021 01:15:16 +0000 Freedom of expression will be protected in Hong Kong, the city’s leader has vowed after a pro-establishment lawmaker suggested authorities should check whether exhibits at the city’s soon-to-open flagship art museum “spread hatred against the country” or contravened the national security law. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also said she was confident the operators of the West Kowloon Cultural District, including the M+ museum, were capable of distinguishing works that constituted... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3125854/hong-kong-leader-vows-protect-freedom-expression-pro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3125854/hong-kong-leader-vows-protect-freedom-expression-pro?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Mar 2021 12:01:08 +0000 Three more opposition politicians charged in Hong Kong’s largest crackdown to date under the national security law were released from custody on Monday, after a judge upheld a lower court’s decision to grant them bail. But the High Court judge revoked the bail previously awarded to a fourth defendant following a review requested by prosecutors. The result marked an end to prosecutors’ challenge against the release of 11 of the 47 defendants in the case, all of whom stand charged with subversion... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3125492/national-security-law-three-more-hong-kong-defendants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3125492/national-security-law-three-more-hong-kong-defendants?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Mar 2021 08:21:46 +0000 After months of angst and speculation in Hong Kong political circles, Beijing’s plan to drastically revamp the city’s electoral system has finally been officially unveiled, with top officials insisting on the urgent need to ensure the city is run by “patriots”. There was to be no repeat of the 2019 protests when anti-government, anti-China elements – often with opposition lawmakers in the thick of the action – caused chaos and threatened national security, various leaders said over the past... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3124445/heres-everything-we-know-and-dont-know-about-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3124445/heres-everything-we-know-and-dont-know-about-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Mar 2021 00:00:15 +0000 The central government giveth and the central government taketh away. The arduous electoral reforms that took Hong Kong two decades to achieve are now being reversed between the “two sessions”. The new principles have been laid down, though the details await the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) to promulgate. Electoral reforms since 1997 had meant the opposition could aim to achieve a majority by occupying more than half of the 70 seats in the Legislative Council. This hope... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3124334/inevitable-end-hong-kongs-democratic-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3124334/inevitable-end-hong-kongs-democratic-experiment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Mar 2021 21:12:56 +0000 Despite only being a bail hearing, the attention generated by the marathon proceedings surrounding the fate of 47 Hong Kong opposition activists has been unprecedented. After 28 hours spread over four days, a city court finally decided on Thursday night to grant bail to 15 of the defendants charged with subversion under the national security law, but prosecutors immediately appealed against the decision. That appeal meant those granted bail remained in custody, a move that triggered condemnation... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3124168/hong-kong-national-security-law-election-bans-travel-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3124168/hong-kong-national-security-law-election-bans-travel-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Mar 2021 04:30:16 +0000 Hong Kong’s Legislative Council could have up to 90 lawmakers, up from the current 70, and the Election Committee that selects the city’s chief executive may add another 300 voters to become a 1,500-member outfit, as part of a drastic overhaul to the electoral system, the Post has learned. On the proposed expansion of Legco, sources said the additional members would be chosen from the Election Committee, which is expected to hold its voting only in December. As such members can only join Legco... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3124084/chinas-two-sessions-dominant-theme-hong-kong-be-ensuring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3124084/chinas-two-sessions-dominant-theme-hong-kong-be-ensuring?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Mar 2021 09:13:53 +0000 A total of 47 opposition activists were charged under the national security law on Sunday with conspiring to subvert state power over their roles in an unofficial primary run-off election authorities linked to a plot to overthrow the government. While prosecutors on Monday argued in court that the group’s plan to take control of the 70-member Legislative Council at the now-postponed elections was part of a wider push to paralyse the administration, authorities have been accused of trying to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3123656/why-have-hong-kongs-opposition-figures-been-charged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3123656/why-have-hong-kongs-opposition-figures-been-charged?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Mar 2021 14:29:41 +0000 A group of opposition activists in Hong Kong who organised a primary election said to have breached the national security law by attempting to overthrow the government disbanded on Saturday. The announcement came a day before 52 former opposition lawmakers and activists were expected to report to police over their arrests on subversion charges relating to the vote, with some believing they would be prosecuted. Power for Democracy announced the move on its Facebook page, saying committee members... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3123444/hong-kong-opposition-activists-disband-power-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3123444/hong-kong-opposition-activists-disband-power-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Feb 2021 15:28:30 +0000 Fifty-two opposition activists, including Benny Tai Yiu-ting, who were arrested last month on suspicion of subversion in the biggest crackdown under Hong Kong’s national security law had their bail extended on Wednesday. But three others who were also detained in the large-scale police operation – Joshua Wong Chi-fung, former Democratic Party chairman Wu Chi-wai, and People Power’s Tam Tak-chi – remained in custody in connection with other cases. Tai, the architect of the opposition’s primary... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3121358/hong-kong-opposition-activists-detained-mass-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3121358/hong-kong-opposition-activists-detained-mass-national?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Feb 2021 13:22:24 +0000 With only two non-establishment lawmakers left in the Legislative Council, one would think the pro-establishment camp had better things to do than fight their political adversaries who have been disqualified or have quit in protest. But Legco is on course to pass another batch of rule book amendments by the end of March to, well, further curb the filibustering tactics of those who have left the council. Most of our remaining lawmakers appear adamant about spring cleaning. More than 100 pages of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120739/why-are-hong-kongs-pro-establishment-lawmakers-fighting-ghosts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120739/why-are-hong-kongs-pro-establishment-lawmakers-fighting-ghosts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Feb 2021 00:30:13 +0000 With the city in the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic for more than a year, it is easy to forget that many outstanding issues remain in the in tray of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Addressing the Legislative Council for the first time in months on Thursday, the chief executive was keen to show that it was business as usual for her government, perhaps even better, following the mass resignation of pan-democrat lawmakers.  Not only was she noticeably more at ease when answering the questions of allies,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120805/public-expects-legco-follow-due-process?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120805/public-expects-legco-follow-due-process?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Feb 2021 18:42:12 +0000 Hong Kong’s pro-establishment lawmakers are pushing for another overhaul of the legislature’s rule book in a bid to further curb filibustering, two months after the mass departure of their opposition counterparts. But critics fear the latest batch of amendments will “fully” limit dissent and effectively bar lawmakers from voicing concerns over controversial bills in the future. The proposals – which consisted of more than 100 pages of documents jointly suggested by several pro-establishment... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3120370/hong-kongs-pro-establishment-bloc-moves-pull-quorum-calls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3120370/hong-kongs-pro-establishment-bloc-moves-pull-quorum-calls?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Feb 2021 08:38:55 +0000 The arrest of 53 people earlier this month in Hong Kong on suspicion of subversion has, once again, led to a frenzy of condemnation by Western leaders and the media. All those arrested have been released on police bail as investigations continue. These are likely to take some time. Most of the 53 are “pro-democrats” who sought to take part in the September 2020 Legislative Council elections (since postponed); the rest are organisers of an event known as the “35-plus” primaries which took place... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119167/mass-arrests-sinister-aspect-democrats-35-plus-primaries-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119167/mass-arrests-sinister-aspect-democrats-35-plus-primaries-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jan 2021 03:30:16 +0000 The crackdown on the opposition camp in Hong Kong appears to have dealt a fatal blow to the political fortunes of its most prominent members but their successors may find a role in governing if they do not openly challenge Beijing, pro-establishment figures and analysts have said. But others cautioned that the mass arrests had cast a chilling effect on free speech and anyone considering running for office would temper their views out of fear of violating Beijing’s new red line. Representatives... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3116693/can-hong-kongs-opposition-camp-survive-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3116693/can-hong-kongs-opposition-camp-survive-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jan 2021 14:28:30 +0000 More than 50 former opposition lawmakers and activists were arrested on Wednesday on subversion charges in the biggest crackdown yet under Hong Kong’s national security law, with authorities accusing them of a plot to “overthrow” the government. Nearly 1,000 police officers conducted raids across the city, detaining 53 people accused of organising or involvement in the pan-democratic camp’s unofficial, primary run-off election last July in which 610,000 voters took part. Officials said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3116573/dozens-hong-kong-opposition-lawmakers-activists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3116573/dozens-hong-kong-opposition-lawmakers-activists?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Jan 2021 23:54:31 +0000 Recent political developments in Hong Kong have left many people wondering whether the pro-democracy camp still has a future. With qualifications for Legislative Council seats tightened in the wake of the enactment of the national security law, it remains unclear who can come forward. Separately, some activists have bowed out, gone to jail or fled overseas. The prospect is anything but clear. The new Democratic Party chairman has shed some light on the way forward. Speaking to the Post and other... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3114077/pan-democrats-should-still-play-constructive-role-governance-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3114077/pan-democrats-should-still-play-constructive-role-governance-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Dec 2020 13:03:08 +0000 Lo Kin-hei is not someone widely recognised in Hong Kong, but it looks like that is about to change. At 36, the registered social worker and opposition politician has just become the youngest person to helm the city’s largest traditional pan-democratic party. He was elected chairman of the Democratic Party early this month, at possibly the lowest point for opposition politicians and at a time when many are wondering if the party ought to contest elections again. Fifteen opposition lawmakers... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3113768/democratic-party-picks-mild-not-controversial-lo-kin-hei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3113768/democratic-party-picks-mild-not-controversial-lo-kin-hei?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Dec 2020 01:00:17 +0000 Just as the pan-democrats exit stage right, entering stage left is a brand new political party. Galloping into Hong Kong’s political arena now may sound as crazy as starting a business in the middle of a global health and economic crisis, but that’s exactly what the Bauhinia Party is doing. At a time when it is easier to jump on the “‘one country, two systems’ is dead” bandwagon – a bandwagon that has been getting more crowded with the passage of the national security law in summer and then the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3113622/amid-gloom-over-one-country-two-systems-new-party-offers-hope-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3113622/amid-gloom-over-one-country-two-systems-new-party-offers-hope-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Dec 2020 22:45:16 +0000 In response to Beijing’s resolution effectively disqualifying four democratic legislative councillors last month, the remaining lawmakers in the democratic camp resigned en masse in protest. Beijing’s sudden move must have occurred because it was angered by democratic lawmakers’ tactics in the Legislative Council, which were stopping the Hong Kong government from passing laws as it pleased. Therefore, Beijing threw a tantrum by moving to exercise complete control over Hong Kong’s internal... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112980/why-hong-kong-should-not-give-democratic-elections-despite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112980/why-hong-kong-should-not-give-democratic-elections-despite?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Dec 2020 00:30:14 +0000 At least a dozen Chinese officials could face US sanctions as early as Monday over their alleged role in Beijing’s disqualification of elected opposition legislators in Hong Kong. Three sources, including a US official familiar with the matter, said the US was preparing to target officials from the Chinese Communist Party as President Donald Trump’s administration keeps up pressure on Beijing in his final weeks in office. President-elect Joe Biden takes over on January 20. Up to 14 people –... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112812/us-target-more-china-officials-over-hong-kong-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3112812/us-target-more-china-officials-over-hong-kong-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Dec 2020 02:43:28 +0000 Lo Kin-hei, a rising star in Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, the city’s leading opposition faction, has become its youngest-ever chairman, pledging to work with members to explore new avenues to press its fight for democracy. The 36-year-old, however, refused to be drawn into discussing the party’s plans for the coming Legislative Council elections, expected next summer, saying only that the newly installed leadership would discuss the issue with members. “The meaning of the so-called frontline is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3112797/youth-movement-hong-kongs-democratic-party-elects-youngest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3112797/youth-movement-hong-kongs-democratic-party-elects-youngest?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Dec 2020 15:12:50 +0000 YouTube has become an incubator for the next generation of pro-government lawmaker-wannabes. If you want to know who may be the new legislators in next year’s election, you may watch the more popular so-called KOLs (key opinion leaders) online. They have made no secret of their political ambitions, and would have been candidates if the September election wasn’t delayed for a year, ostensibly because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but in reality, part of a concerted political campaign to neuter the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112791/patriotic-youtube-stars-aim-legislature?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3112791/patriotic-youtube-stars-aim-legislature?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Dec 2020 13:07:09 +0000 Four Hong Kong lawmakers were disqualified from the Legislative Council this month, immediately after Beijing passed a resolution on November 11 stating that legislators could be removed summarily for flouting a number of prohibited acts, including threatening national security and refusing to endorse China’s sovereignty. Their removal prompted all 15 remaining opposition lawmakers to resign. Among those leaving are three prominent lawmakers who have served between eight and 28 years. The Post... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3111788/three-hong-kong-opposition-politicians-explain-why-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3111788/three-hong-kong-opposition-politicians-explain-why-they?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Nov 2020 01:00:22 +0000 A plan to let Hong Kong voters cast their ballots in mainland China may not come to fruition in time for a major election next year, the city’s leader has revealed, blaming complexities her staff had overlooked. The proposal – which sparked fears among opposition politicians that it would undermine the fairness and integrity of the city’s electoral process – was expected to be unveiled in Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng-yuet ngor’s policy address on Wednesday. But Lam told a radio show on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3111784/plan-expand-voting-hong-kong-residents-living-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3111784/plan-expand-voting-hong-kong-residents-living-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Nov 2020 14:46:01 +0000 How will Hong Kong’s pro-establishment camp perform now that the opposition legislators have resigned? The camp is not uniform. Its members represent different political parties and leanings. With the opposition gone, these differences will become more obvious. Yet this is an opportunity for the remaining legislators to distinguish themselves. They need to show they are not Beijing’s stooges. They are “patriotic” in that they respect the nation, uphold the motherland’s exercise of sovereignty,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3111349/whats-left-hong-kongs-legislative-council-must-show-it-can-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3111349/whats-left-hong-kongs-legislative-council-must-show-it-can-work?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2020 22:30:13 +0000 This month, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee passed a resolution allowing the Hong Kong government to oust four pro-democracy lawmakers. Beijing said it had only broached the subject at the request of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. All of Hong Kong’s pan-democrat lawmakers have resigned after the resolution. The only non-establishment lawmakers who have stayed on are Cheng Chung-tai of Civic Passion and Pierre Chan Pui-yin of the medical functional constituency. The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3111464/neutering-opposition-hong-kong-legislative-council-wont-improve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3111464/neutering-opposition-hong-kong-legislative-council-wont-improve?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2020 00:30:10 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had pinned high hopes on her latest policy address, assuring residents of the central government’s unwavering support to jump-start the city’s sputtering economy as she listed out initiative after initiative over more than two hours on Wednesday. Her mission, as she pledged earlier, had been to restore confidence in the people amid the doom and gloom of the coronavirus pandemic. She titled her speech “Striving ahead with renewed perseverance”. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3111389/big-bang-or-damp-squib-why-hong-kong-leaders-2020-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3111389/big-bang-or-damp-squib-why-hong-kong-leaders-2020-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Nov 2020 00:00:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader unveiled a lengthy policy blueprint on Wednesday aimed at urgently rebuilding confidence in a city beset by political turmoil and financial uncertainty, promising to restore social and constitutional order as well as revive the ailing economy. Having postponed her annual policy address by over a month to allow more time for consultation with Beijing, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor faced heightened public expectations as she delivered a speech lasting more than two... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3111342/hong-kong-leader-pledges-rebuild-confidence-and-restore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3111342/hong-kong-leader-pledges-rebuild-confidence-and-restore?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Nov 2020 10:11:33 +0000 After the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) announced the grounds on which Hong Kong Legislative Council members could be disqualified, our government moved quickly to unseat four opposition lawmakers. That sparked the shocking collective resignation of pan-democrat lawmakers. The aftershocks are yet to come. Hongkongers’ opinions on this development vary. Some think the pan-democrats have been rightly punished for their antics at Legco meetings, such as filibustering... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3110587/why-red-cards-hong-kongs-pro-democracy-lawmakers-were-foul-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3110587/why-red-cards-hong-kongs-pro-democracy-lawmakers-were-foul-move?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Nov 2020 22:55:07 +0000 Barrister Dennis Kwok is the latest prominent pan-democrat to quit politics completely. His departure from the local political scene follows that of democracy icons Anson Chan Fang On-sang and Martin Lee Chu-ming, as well as former fellow Civic Party colleague Tanya Chan. Kwok blamed his disqualification as a lawmaker, along with three other pan-democrats, by the government for his decision to quit. That is no doubt a big part of the problem. But the reality is that they have no grass-roots or... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3110911/end-road-dennis-kwok?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3110911/end-road-dennis-kwok?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Nov 2020 14:45:55 +0000 There were shock waves when Beijing passed a resolution on November 11 which resulted in the ousting of four opposition lawmakers from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council. Even members of the pro-establishment camp were taken aback. The disqualification of the four men led all 15 remaining opposition lawmakers to resign en masse on November 12, leaving Legco with 41 pro-establishment members and two independents. Prominent Hong Kong lawmaker says he is leaving politics The sudden absence of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3110881/echo-chamber-or-sound-politics-how-will-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3110881/echo-chamber-or-sound-politics-how-will-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Nov 2020 08:00:15 +0000 China has delivered a stinging rebuke to the United States and its allies over their condemnation of a Beijing ruling that led to the immediate ousting of Hong Kong opposition lawmakers, warning they risked “having their eyes poked out”. Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian issued the counterblast on Thursday in response to demands from the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance for Beijing to reverse the decision, which effectively unseated four legislators. The Hong Kong government in the evening... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3110489/five-eyes-alliance-demands-beijing-withdraws-its-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3110489/five-eyes-alliance-demands-beijing-withdraws-its-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Nov 2020 05:36:30 +0000 I totally agree with John Dainton in his letter critical of the mass resignation of the Hong Kong pan-democrats (“Mass resignation shows lawmakers care little for Hong Kong”, November 17). I also believe that Anthony Cheung’s “In need of balance” was extremely sound in its reasoning. As a permanent resident card holder for over 35 years, I have found myself increasingly bewildered and disappointed by the antics and posturing of the so-called pan-democrats. In its earliest incarnation, the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3110304/hong-kong-pan-democrats-who-quit-legco-showed-neither-foresight-nor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3110304/hong-kong-pan-democrats-who-quit-legco-showed-neither-foresight-nor?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Nov 2020 22:45:11 +0000 After Beijing’s decision to disqualify four opposition Legislative Council members, the majority of lawmakers from the pro-democracy camp decided to resign collectively. It is not hard to see why plenty of Hong Kong citizens feel this is the end of “one country, two systems” (“The dawn of ‘one country, one system’ for Hong Kong”, November 13); that Hong Kong, the political compromise made between Deng Xiaoping and Margaret Thatcher, has eventually degenerated into a typical mainland Chinese city... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3110234/time-hong-kong-consider-what-kind-relationship-it-wants-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3110234/time-hong-kong-consider-what-kind-relationship-it-wants-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Nov 2020 22:15:06 +0000 On the night Hong Kong returned to China, leading democrat Martin Lee Chu-ming stood on the balcony of the old Legislative Council building with fellow members of his party and vowed: “We shall return!” His speech, to the cheering crowds below, followed the disbanding of the legislature by Beijing, in retaliation for the last governor Chris Patten’s electoral reforms. It was replaced by the provisional legislature, a body established by the central government’s Preparatory Committee and chosen... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3110170/loss-opposition-hong-kongs-legislative-council-tragedy-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3110170/loss-opposition-hong-kongs-legislative-council-tragedy-city?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 20:30:19 +0000 Too many times of late, I’ve heard Hongkongers pondering the question: should I stay or should I go? For me, it has been a moot point; this city is too newsworthy for a journalist to turn away from. Besides, I wasn’t entirely sure to what degree freedoms and rights were actually being eroded, as claimed by democracy advocates and foreign governments, whether local officials or Beijing was in charge or unfounded fear was driving emotions. The decision last week by China’s top legislative body... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3109918/stay-hong-kong-or-go-beijings-latest-ruling-reignites-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3109918/stay-hong-kong-or-go-beijings-latest-ruling-reignites-dilemma?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Nov 2020 22:45:15 +0000