Additional Coverage:
Hong Kong’s Democratic Party Disbands Amidst Mounting Chinese Pressure
Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, once the city’s leading opposition voice, has officially disbanded following a member vote on Sunday. This move marks the culmination of a years-long security crackdown by Beijing, effectively silencing one of the last major liberal voices in the financial hub.
Founded three years before Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule from Britain in 1997, the Democratic Party played a significant role in advocating for democratic reforms and upholding freedoms. The party historically achieved strong results in city-wide legislative elections.
However, the landscape shifted dramatically after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019, which Beijing perceived as a challenge to its authority. In response, China enacted a sweeping national security law aimed at stifling dissent within the city.
Chairman Lo Kin-hei confirmed the party’s decision to disband and enter liquidation after an extraordinary general meeting. “To have journeyed through these three decades, shoulder to shoulder with the people of Hong Kong, has been our greatest honour.
Throughout these years, we have always treated the well-being of Hong Kong and its people as our guiding purpose,” Lo stated. The vote saw 117 members in favor of disbandment, with 4 abstentions out of 121 votes cast.
Reports from senior party members suggest that Chinese officials or intermediaries had pressured them to disband, threatening “severe consequences” including potential arrest. The Hong Kong Liaison Office, China’s main representative body, has not yet commented on these claims.
Emily Lau, a former Democratic Party chairwoman, expressed her deep regret over the outcome. “Why does an organisation that has done so much for Hong Kong need to end like this? I find it very problematic,” she remarked.
The “one country, two systems” arrangement, designed to grant Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy, has seen significant erosion in recent years. Authorities have utilized new security laws to arrest numerous opponents, dissolve civil society groups, and close media outlets.
“We were never able to have democracy. We never had the chance to elect our government…
We hope it (the principle of one country, two systems) won’t keep shrinking more and more. We hope there won’t be more and more people being arrested,” Lau added, highlighting concerns for the city’s future.
The disbandment comes shortly after Hong Kong’s “patriots only” legislative council election and on the eve of a verdict for media mogul and China critic Jimmy Lai in a landmark national security trial. China’s 2021 overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system, which mandates that only those vetted as “patriots” can run for public office, effectively marginalized the Democratic Party from mainstream politics.
This follows a similar move in June, when another pro-democracy group, the League of Social Democrats, announced its disbandment due to “immense political pressure.” Several senior Democratic Party members, including Wu Chi-wai, Albert Ho, Helena Wong, and Lam Cheuk-ting, are currently jailed or in custody under the national security law imposed in 2020.
While some governments, including the U.S. and Britain, have criticized the law for stifling dissent and individual freedoms, China maintains that the law has restored stability to Hong Kong and that no freedom is absolute.