'Times have changed': The Civic Party, one of Hong Kong's main pro-democracy groups, raised its curtain in late December, at the end of a self-dissolution process that relieved its co-founder of a 'burden' Facing pressure from Beijing, it is becoming increasingly difficult to endure this.
Alan Leong has retained only six green and purple pins with the party's founding date, March 19, 2006, from these years of struggle between electoral successes and court cases.
“I have never doubted the Hong Kong people's ability to govern Hong Kong, but there are things beyond our control,” the veteran politician, 65, said in a series of interviews with AFP over the past six months.
The former leader feels “relieved” today that he can “finally take the burden” off his shoulders, he assures.
The Citizens' Party, nicknamed the “Party of Lawyers” because several of its founders worked in the legal field, voted to dissolve itself in May because it was unable to establish a leadership due to repression against its members.
“Political reality” as well as the lack of funds and morale led to this decision, believes Alan Leong, who recently saw the movement's headquarters empty without furniture or campaign speakers.
“Radicalization”
Since China passed the national security law in 2020, the movement has been decimated: jailing three of its members, firing its local elected officials and manhunting one of its former deputies in exile…
The Civic Party was founded to promote the democratization of Hong Kong, which was seen as compromised by Beijing, which seized the keys to the metropolis after the British handover in 1997.
The disappointed promise to elect leaders through universal suffrage was “the starting point for the founding of the party,” recalls Albert Lai, one of the early cadres, who recalls the aspirations to become “a ruling party.”
The party, once the second-largest opposition force in Hong Kong, along with its radical allies in the League of Social Democrats helped trigger a 2010 by-election that was presented as a symbolic referendum on the city's democratization. At the time, Beijing condemned an “unconstitutional” maneuver.
Ronny Tong, one of the co-founders who defected to form his own movement in 2015, later recognized the “radicalization” of the Civic Party at the time.
“It was an act of confrontation,” the current government member told a pro-power media outlet in June, admitting that he “regrets” having been involved in the movement’s founding.
complain
This year, Chinese state television labeled the Civic Party an “anti-China destabilization organization.”
Seven Civic Party members faced legal action following massive pro-democracy protests in 2019 for organizing fundraisers for protesters and participating in an unofficial primary to select opposition candidates ahead of the general election – – in the eyes of the Hong Kong government, a crime against national security.
All elected officials on city councils were also fired, under Beijing-imposed “patriot” doctrine aimed at eliminating any dissenting voice from the public service.
Former MP Dennis Kwok, who is among those who lost his seat and now lives abroad, is wanted for “collusion” by police, who are offering a reward of 1 million Hong Kong dollars (169,000 Canadian dollars) on his head has.
But for Alan Leong, history consists of cycles that make the future of the metropolis uncertain, despite increasing pressure from Beijing.
“I’m sure another party will emerge,” he says.