HONG KONG (AP) — When Yeung Sum co-founded the town’s greatest pro-democracy celebration greater than 30 years in the past, he knew development a democratic Hong Kong can be a “tricky dream.” Nonetheless, it used to be now not inconceivable. These days, his Democratic Birthday party is transferring towards dissolution, a symbolic marker of the diminishing Western-style civil liberties and prime stage of autonomy that the ruling Communist Birthday party in Beijing promised to stay intact within the former British colony for no less than 50 years when it returned to China in 1997.Professional-democracy protests that paralyzed Hong Kong in 2019 resulted in a crackdown that has all however silenced dissent thru limited elections, media censorship and a China-imposed nationwide safety regulation that noticed a few of Yeung’s celebration individuals jailed. Dozens of civil society teams closed down.
Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Birthday party, is interviewed on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)
Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Birthday party, is interviewed on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)Learn Extra
Former chairperson Yeung stated in an interview with The Related Press that Chinese language officers instructed him the celebration had to disband. He steered his individuals to toughen the movement to offer the management mandate to take care of the method.
“I’m now not more than happy about it,” stated Yeung. “However I will see if we refuse the decision to disband, we might pay an overly massive worth for it.” Others gained equivalent messages. Birthday party veteran Fred Li stated Chinese language officers implied the celebration wouldn’t live to tell the tale thru this yr’s legislative election when he requested about the potential of its individuals working. Every other founding member, Sin Chung-kai, stated some Hong Kong-based individuals have been warned in early February of penalties if the celebration endured to exist.
Promising early years
The Democratic Birthday party used to be shaped in 1994 thru a merger of 2 pro-democracy teams. In step with its manifesto, it helps Hong Kong’s go back to China.In its early years, it gained probably the most seats within the legislative council. Sooner than Beijing modified electoral laws in 2021 to verify most effective “patriots” can run, the celebration used to be a significant pro-democracy voice within the legislature even after it not held the most important choice of seats. Again then, Yeung stated, the pro-democracy camp typically gained about 60% of the preferred vote.
Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Birthday party, poses for a photograph on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)
Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Birthday party, poses for a photograph on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)Learn Extra
Empty chairs on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)
Empty chairs on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)Learn Extra
The reception space on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)
The reception space on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)Learn Extra
Yeung used to be inspired to look that the experiment in democracy, the rule of thumb of regulation, an unbiased judiciary and a merit-based management may just paintings within the town. “All the social machine has been demonstrated to be rather, rather, rather promising through the years,” he recalled.
Negotiations with Beijing drew backlash In 2010, the celebration got here beneath hearth after it supported the federal government’s political reform bundle in negotiations with Chinese language officers that allowed hundreds of thousands of citizens to without delay elect 5 lawmakers from their district councils. Some individuals who was hoping for broader democratic reform give up in protest and the celebration misplaced two seats within the 2012 legislative election. It additionally drew backlash from advocates inside the pro-democracy camp.
Emily Lau is interviewed on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job April 2, 2025. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)
Emily Lau is interviewed on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job April 2, 2025. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)Learn Extra
Having a look again, former chairperson Emily Lau, who used to be concerned within the talks with Beijing, insists many of us supported the result as it used to be a step ahead. She stated they requested Beijing to proceed to have discussion with others to have the ability for common suffrage, however it by no means did.
“Perhaps the one factor I might have accomplished slightly otherwise isn’t to enter the (Beijing’s) liaison place of job (in Hong Kong). I assume we underestimated what number of Hong Kong folks hated them,” she stated. As new pro-democracy teams have been on the upward push, the celebration’s affect dwindled. That turned into extra obtrusive after the emergence of more youthful politicians, together with pro-Hong Kong independence activists, following the 2014 large protests calling for common suffrage. Nonetheless, 5 years later, when the 2019 protests swept Hong Kong, the celebration’s activism gained popular toughen as soon as once more.
After crackdownChina’s crackdown together with the 2020 sweeping safety regulation modified the political panorama. Some former lawmakers, together with celebration ex-chairmen Albert Ho and Wu Chi-wai, at the moment are in jail in distinguished nationwide safety instances. The Democratic Birthday party has turn out to be absent in elections because of the brand new prison framework for polls. Some observers consider Beijing might not imagine the celebration price cultivating ties with, particularly after it didn’t run within the 2021 legislative election after the electoral overhaul.Different pro-democracy teams have disbanded, together with the Civic Birthday party, the second-largest pro-democracy political celebration, and a decades-old staff that arranged the once a year vigil to commemorate Beijing’s Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. Some activists selected self-exile or ceased their paintings.
Pieces on the market on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job in Hong Kong. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)
Pieces on the market on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job in Hong Kong. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)Learn Extra
The Democratic Birthday party pressed on by means of maintaining information meetings on livelihood problems. It even submitted reviews at the new nationwide safety law prior to it used to be enacted in March 2024. Ramon Yuen, who had served as a coverage spokesperson prior to and after the protection regulation took impact, admitted the celebration has turn out to be like a force staff. “Sadly, this force staff could also be beneath force,” stated Yuen.
Shifting towards disbandment In February, the celebration’s central committee determined to arrange a job pressure to seem into the procedures for dissolving itself. Present chairperson Lo Family-hei stated it used to be in keeping with the present political state of affairs and social local weather. He declined an interview request. A gathering on Sunday will make a decision whether or not to mandate the management to continue. A last vote for dissolution is anticipated at a later date.
Emily Lau poses for a photograph subsequent to an Umbrella motion poster with the phrases “I would like authentic common suffrage.” (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)
Emily Lau poses for a photograph subsequent to an Umbrella motion poster with the phrases “I would like authentic common suffrage.” (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)Learn Extra
Yeung Sum seems thru outdated photos on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job in Prince Edward in Hong Kong. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)
Yeung Sum seems thru outdated photos on the Democratic Birthday party’s place of job in Prince Edward in Hong Kong. (AP Photograph/Would possibly James)Learn Extra
Yuen, 38, joined the celebration in 2009. If it’s shuttered, the town will lose a voice advocating for problems starting from livelihood considerations to democracy, human rights and the rule of thumb of regulation, he stated.“It’s now not simple for the central committee to make this resolution,” he stated. “I settle for it. I will most effective say, each generation will come to an finish.”For celebration veteran Yeung, the disbandment can be a “very massive setback” for the town, including that the celebration’s disappearance would make it tricky for folks out of doors to consider within the “one nation, two techniques” theory. However he believes it’ll now not be the top of preventing for democracy for Hong Kongers, particularly for the younger individuals who tasted a loose society. Persons are quiet as a result of they concern about attainable consequences if they freely criticize the federal government, stated Yeung, who used to be sentenced to fourteen months in jail for his position within the 2019 protests. “So perhaps not more democratic formation of celebration. However I believe folks’s hearts for democracy, they are going to now not fade out. They nonetheless stay it, perhaps in several shape.”
