Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party took an initial step toward dissolving Thursday, in the latest sign of the Chinese territory’s narrowing space for civil society groups following Beijng’s crackdown on dissent.
The Democratic Party’s central committee decided to set up a task force to look into the procedures involved in dissolving the party. A final decision would require approval of the party’s members.
Party chairperson Lo Kin-hei said at a news conference late Thursday that party leaders made the decision based the current political situation and social climate, and said the party did not have any acute financial burdens.
“When we have to move toward this direction, we, of course, feel it is a pity. I believe every member cherishes the existence of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong,” he said.
Founded in 1994, the Democratic Party is one of the few pro-democracy parties in Hong Kong, where political activism has faced a stern crackdown from China’s central government in Beijing following anti-government protests by Hong Kongers in 2019.
Its prominent party members include Martin Lee, nicknamed the city’s “Father of Democracy,” Albert Ho, former leader of a now-defunct group that organised Tiananmen vigils, and journalist-turned-activist Emily Lau.
Over the years, the party has long been seen as a moderate opposition party that once maintained friendly relationships even with Beijing officials. Some of its former members had become top government officials, while radical members had criticized the party for being too mild.
But following the massive protests that rocked the Chinese territory in 2019, the city’s political environment changed drastically. Months of social unrest triggered Beijing to impose a national security law — which authorities insist is necessary for the city’s stability.
Since the law took effect in 2020, dozens of civil society groups have shut down, including the city’s once second-largest pro-democracy party and a decades-old group that organized the annual vigil to commemorate Beijing’s Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. Many leading activists were prosecuted under the law, including members of the Democratic Party. Others were forced into self-exile or silenced.
Last year, some of the party’s former lawmakers were convicted and sentenced over their roles in an unofficial primary election in the city’s largest national security case. That verdict drew criticism from foreign governments though Beijing defended it.
In recent years, the party has had limited influence over the city’s politics after the authorities overhauled the electoral rules in changes they said ensured that “patriots” administered Hong Kong, and that effectively barred pro-democracy candidates from running for seats in district councils.
Despite the changing climate, the party pressed on with its work. It continued holding news briefings on livelihood issues and even submitted opinions on proposed national security legislation to the government before the law was enacted last March.
In Thursday’s news conference, Mr Lo said disbandment would require support from 75 per cent of the attending members of a general assembly. The party now has 400 members, but typically not all members attend general meetings. In the past, the party has had both successful and failed attempts to secure enough votes to change its constitution, he said.
When the former British colony was returned to China’s rule in 1997, the governing principle of “one country, two systems” was supposed to guarantee Western-style civil liberties and autonomy not enjoyed by mainland Chinese territories.
But Mr Lo said his party’s interpretation of this governing principle may differ from that of the Beijing government. He said he hoped these different views could remain in society, saying that societies improve only with diverse voices.
“The path to democracy is always difficult,” Mr Lo said. “I have confidence in Hong Kongers and Hong Kongers can always find ways to handle different matters.”
