Hong Kong's biggest pro-democracy party moves to disband as freedoms dwindle

HONG KONG — When Yeung Sum co-founded the city's largest pro-democracy party more than 30 years ago, he knew building a democratic Hong Kong would be a ''difficult dream." Still, it was not impossible.

Today, his Democratic Party is moving toward dissolution, a symbolic marker of the diminishing Western-style civil liberties and high degree of autonomy that the ruling Communist Party in Beijing promised to keep intact in the former British colony for at least 50 years when it returned to China in 1997.

Pro-democracy protests that paralyzed Hong Kong in 2019 led to a crackdown that has all but silenced dissent through restricted elections, media censorship and a China-imposed national security law that saw some of Yeung's party members jailed. Dozens of civil society groups closed down.

Former chairperson Yeung said in an interview with The Associated Press that Chinese officials told him the party needed to disband. He urged his members to support the motion to give the leadership mandate to handle the process.

''I'm not very happy about it," said Yeung. ''But I can see if we refuse the call to disband, we may pay a very huge price for it.''

Others received similar messages. Party veteran Fred Li said Chinese officials implied the party wouldn't survive through this year's legislative election when he asked about the possibility of its members running. Another founding member, Sin Chung-kai, said some Hong Kong-based members were warned in early February of consequences if the party continued to exist.

Promising early years

The Democratic Party was formed in 1994 through a merger of two pro-democracy groups. According to its manifesto, it supports Hong Kong's return to China.

In its early years, it won the most seats in the legislative council. Before Beijing changed electoral rules in 2021 to ensure only ''patriots'' can run, the party was a major pro-democracy voice in the legislature even after it no longer held the largest number of seats. Back then, Yeung said, the pro-democracy camp generally won about 60% of the popular vote.

Yeung was encouraged to see that the experiment in democracy, the rule of law, an independent judiciary and a merit-based administration could work in the city.

''The entire social system has been demonstrated to be quite, quite, quite promising over the years,'' he recalled.

Negotiations with Beijing drew backlash

In 2010, the party came under fire after it supported the government's political reform package in negotiations with Chinese officials that allowed millions of voters to directly elect five lawmakers from their district councils. Some members who hoped for broader democratic reform quit in protest and the party lost two seats in the 2012 legislative election. It also drew backlash from advocates within the pro-democracy camp.

Looking back, former chairperson Emily Lau, who was involved in the talks with Beijing, insists many people supported the outcome because it was a step forward. She said they asked Beijing to continue to have dialogue with others to find a way for universal suffrage, but it never did.

''Maybe the only thing I would have done a bit differently is not to go into the (Beijing's) liaison office (in Hong Kong). I guess we underestimated how many Hong Kong people hated them,'' she said.

As new pro-democracy groups were on the rise, the party's influence dwindled. That became more obvious after the emergence of younger politicians, including pro-Hong Kong independence activists, following the 2014 massive protests calling for universal suffrage. Still, five years later, when the 2019 protests swept Hong Kong, the party's activism won widespread support once again.

After crackdown

China's crackdown including the 2020 sweeping security law changed the political landscape. Some former lawmakers, including party ex-chairmen Albert Ho and Wu Chi-wai, are now in prison in prominent national security cases.

The Democratic Party has become absent in elections due to the new legal framework for polls. Some observers believe Beijing may no longer consider the party worth cultivating ties with, especially after it did not run in the 2021 legislative election after the electoral overhaul.

Other pro-democracy groups have disbanded, including the Civic Party, the second-largest pro-democracy political party, and a decades-old group that organized the annual vigil to commemorate Beijing's Tiananmen crackdown in 1989. Some activists chose self-exile or ceased their work.

The Democratic Party pressed on by holding news conferences on livelihood issues. It even submitted opinions on the new national security legislation before it was enacted in March 2024.

Ramon Yuen, who had served as a policy spokesperson before and after the security law took effect, admitted the party has become like a pressure group.

''Unfortunately, this pressure group is also under pressure,'' said Yuen.

Moving toward disbandment

In February, the party's central committee decided to set up a task force to look into the procedures for dissolving itself. Current chairperson Lo Kin-hei said it was based on the current political situation and social climate. He declined an interview request.

A meeting on Sunday will decide whether to mandate the leadership to proceed. A final vote for dissolution is expected at a later date.

Yuen, 38, joined the party in 2009. If it's shuttered, the city will lose a voice advocating for issues ranging from livelihood concerns to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, he said.

''It's not easy for the central committee to make this decision,'' he said. ''I accept it. I can only say, every era will come to an end."

For party veteran Yeung, the disbandment would be a ''very huge setback'' for the city, adding that the party's disappearance would make it difficult for people outside to believe in the ''one country, two systems'' principle.

But he believes it will not be the end of fighting for democracy for Hong Kongers, especially for the young people who tasted a free society. People are quiet because they worry about potential penalties if they openly criticize the government, said Yeung, who was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his role in the 2019 protests.

''So maybe no more democratic formation of party. But I think people's hearts for democracy, they will not fade out. They still keep it, maybe in different form.''