The latest political development in Hong Kong underscores the extent to which authorities have cleansed the city of democracy. On Sunday, the Democratic Party, Hong Kong’s last remaining opposition party, decided that it will soon disband under pressure from officials. Its members voted to begin the process, although the final motion to officially disband the party will be taken at another general meeting later in the year. James Pomfret and Jessie Pang from Reuters described the cause and significance of the party’s disbandment:

Five senior members of the Democratic Party had earlier told Reuters that Chinese officials or middlemen had warned it in recent months to disband or face serious consequences, including possible arrests.

The party, founded three years before Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule from Britain in 1997, has been the Asian financial hub’s flagship opposition, uniting democratic forces to push Beijing on democratic reforms, and to uphold freedoms.

Party head Lo Kin-hei told reporters that 90 percent of 110 members had voted at Sunday’s meeting for a three-person committee to start making arrangements for disbandment, including resolving legal and accounting matters.

[…] If the party disbands, it would mark the end of nearly 30 years of opposition party politics in Hong Kong. [Source]

The party’s manifesto maintained that Hong Kong is an indivisible part of China, but its “relatively moderate position didn’t really effectively improve the relationship between Hong Kong and Beijing over the past decade,” said Ma Ngok, an associate professor of government at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. New measures in 2021 limiting legislative elections to only "patriots” effectively barred the Democratic Party from fielding candidates, and at least five Democratic Party members are currently behind bars, including two former chairpersons, Albert Ho and Wu Chi-wai. Nonetheless, the party continued to provide pro-bono legal services and voice criticism of some government policies. The Civic Party, the second-largest opposition group, officially disbanded in March 2020. Yeung Sum, co-founder of the Democratic Party, said, “I’m not very happy about it, but I can see if we refuse the call to disband, we may pay a very huge price for it.” While acknowledging that disbandment would be a “very huge setback” that would challenge the “one country, two systems” principle, Yeung also said, “But I think people’s hearts for democracy, they will not fade out. They still keep it, maybe in different form.”

Hong Kong opposition forces are re-organizing outside of the city. On Tuesday, Amnesty International announced the launch of its new Hong Kong office based overseas, following the closure of its local office in 2021. Officially registered in Switzerland, the new office will be led by diaspora activists operating in Australia, Canada, Taiwan, the U.K., and the U.S., and it will “focus on advocating for human rights of Hongkongers, within Hong Kong and abroad, amplifying their voices and fostering a strong diaspora community globally.” Among its board members are ex-lawmaker Fernando Cheung and former student activist Joey Siu, one of the 19 activists for which the Hong Kong government has placed a HK$1 million bounty. The press release from Amnesty International provided more details about the initiative, in the words of its leaders:

“The opening of Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas [AIHKO] marks a new chapter in the organization’s strengthened commitment to human rights in Hong Kong and its support for the Hong Kong diaspora around the world,” said Chi-man Luk, the new AIHKO Executive Director.

“The gutting of Hong Kong’s civil society has been a tragedy for the city with more than 100 non-profits and media outlets shut down or forced to flee. But since the closing of Amnesty International Hong Kong three years ago, our dedication has only grown. We are now ready to intensify our efforts by building new communities of support driven by the Hong Kong diaspora.”

[…] AIHKO is Amnesty International’s first-ever section founded and operated entirely “in exile”, and follows the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Hongkongers who have gone abroad in search of safety and freedom.

“Being overseas provides us with a degree of protection, allowing us to speak more freely and engage in advocacy work. We have a responsibility to do more to support those who remain in Hong Kong and continue their vital efforts,” said Fernando Cheung, AIHKO board member and former Hong Kong legislator. [Source]

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government held its 10th National Security Education Day on Tuesday, during which Education Secretary Christine Choi warned of the “dangerous aspect” of “soft resistance,” which could “easily penetrate the heart and mind.” In other news, the government attracted criticism last week by refusing entry to British lawmaker Wera Hobhouse. After landing at Hong Kong airport, she was questioned and put on a flight back to the U.K. hours later. Caroline Davies from The Guardian provided more detail on the ordeal and possible justifications, which may relate to Hobhouse’s criticism of Hong Kong:

The UK government is “greatly concerned” and wants an account of why the Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was denied entry to Hong Kong on a family visit to meet her three-month-old grandson for the first time.

[…] Hobhouse told the Sunday Times her passport was confiscated, she was asked about her job and the purpose of her trip, her luggage was searched and swabbed, then she was escorted to the boarding gate by four immigration officers.

Her son, a university academic living in Hong Kong since 2019, was waiting in the arrivals hall. Her husband, William, a businessman, was allowed entry but chose also to return to the UK. She is believed to be the first MP refused entry since the 1997 handover of Hong Kong.

Hobhouse, who has never visited Hong Kong, said she was given no explanation but believes it was because she is an MP. She is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), an international group of politicians that scrutinises Beijing’s approach to human rights and has criticised the crackdown on free speech in Hong Kong. [Source]