Dissolution Process Began in February, Approved at General Meeting on the 14th
All Pro-Democracy Parties Disband Amid Chinese Pressure
The leadership of the Hong Kong Democratic Party held a press conference at the party headquarters on the 14th. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
The Hong Kong Democratic Party, which had been moving toward dissolution since the beginning of this year, has decided to disband after 31 years since its founding. With this decision, Hong Kong's official pro-democracy force has effectively disappeared. While the party did not specify the exact reason for its dissolution, the leadership had previously suggested in interviews with foreign media that there was pressure from Chinese authorities.
According to Reuters, the Associated Press, and Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) on December 15 (local time), the party's dissolution motion was passed at an extraordinary general meeting held the previous afternoon. Of the 121 party members who participated in the vote, 117 voted in favor of dissolution and 4 abstained. There were no votes against the motion.
As a result, the Democratic Party, which had been Hong Kong's largest opposition party, has brought its more than 30-year history to a close. After the party leadership decided on dissolution in February, the Democratic Party began the process of disbandment, prepared a dissolution resolution in April, and put it to a vote at the general meeting on this day.
After the meeting, party leader Lo said at a press conference, "Given the changing times, we have no choice but to close this chapter," adding, "We have tried everything within our power, but it is extremely difficult to move forward in the current overall political environment."
It appears that strong pressure from the Chinese government was a key factor behind the party's dissolution. Core members of the Democratic Party were successively sentenced to prison under the Hong Kong National Security Law, which was enacted by the Chinese government in 2020 following anti-government protests. In addition, last year, four former Legislative Council members from the Democratic Party were sentenced by a Hong Kong court to up to 6 years and 9 months in prison on charges of manipulating the pro-democracy camp's primary election and conspiring to subvert state power.
The Democratic Party was effectively barred from participating in all public office elections, unable to hold fundraising events, and prevented from taking part in festivals, leaving the party with virtually no means to survive as a political organization. Currently, the Democratic Party has no members in either the Hong Kong Legislative Council or district councils.
Former Democratic Party leader Yeung Sum revealed in an interview with the South China Morning Post (SCMP) that earlier this year, officials from mainland China contacted him to discuss the party's future. He said, "We faced an irresistible force, and after assessing the situation, we decided to dissolve," criticizing, "The dissolution of the Democratic Party shows that Hong Kong has regressed from a free and open society to an authoritarian one."
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