The party, celebrated for its history in street protests and advocacy for civil liberties, conveyed their resignation through emotional speeches in front of their office adorned with slogans symbolizing freedom. Chan Po Ying, the party’s chairwoman, indicated that the climate of pressure had made operating as a political entity increasingly unsafe. “The red lines are now everywhere,” she lamented, reflecting on the long struggle for civil rights in Hong Kong.
This disbandment follows the disintegration of two other major opposition parties earlier this year, highlighting the ongoing repression of political voices in the region as most opposition members either flee or face imprisonment. Many within the party regarded their closure as a means to protect their remaining members from the dire consequences of political activism under current regulations.
The national security legislation, aimed at quelling unrest that erupted in 2019, has been described by critics as a tool of systemic oppression that criminalizes dissent and has left many political activists in a precarious situation. Party vice-chairman Dickson Chau expressed the grim reality facing citizens: “If you want to exercise your right as a citizen, it’s very difficult.” Their closure marks not just the end of a political party, but potentially the erasure of a vital collective voice in Hong Kong’s ongoing struggle for democracy.
This disbandment follows the disintegration of two other major opposition parties earlier this year, highlighting the ongoing repression of political voices in the region as most opposition members either flee or face imprisonment. Many within the party regarded their closure as a means to protect their remaining members from the dire consequences of political activism under current regulations.
The national security legislation, aimed at quelling unrest that erupted in 2019, has been described by critics as a tool of systemic oppression that criminalizes dissent and has left many political activists in a precarious situation. Party vice-chairman Dickson Chau expressed the grim reality facing citizens: “If you want to exercise your right as a citizen, it’s very difficult.” Their closure marks not just the end of a political party, but potentially the erasure of a vital collective voice in Hong Kong’s ongoing struggle for democracy.
