KATHMANDU: The unprecedented landslide victory of the anti-government pro-democratic group in the Hong Kong district council election has been seen as a major ‘slap’ for the pro-Chinese Hong Kong government.
Hong Kong has seen protests since this summer with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators occupying the city’s streets, government buildings and even the airport.
At the forefront of Hong Kong’s movement are young leaders, mainly pro-democracy young activist Joshua Wong, 23, who have been demanding major changes that could alter the generation’s future.
Here’s what he tweeted recently: “If there is just one takeaway for the world: Events in Hong Kong are about so much more than the bill, more than Lam, more even than democracy. They all matter of course. But in the end, it is about the future of Hong Kong beyond 2047, a future that belongs to our generation.”
Wong, who has been a heartthrob of Hong Kong people, has vowed to continue the protests if authorities did continue to ignore the people’s political demands.
The authorities on August 30 banned him from flying abroad, especially to London to receive a human rights award from the British parliament, by the authorities alleging him of inciting violence in Asia’s financial hub.
Born in 1996 in Hong Kong, Wong is a student activist and a politician, currently serving as general-secretary of pro-democracy party Demosisto.
His pivotal role in the Umbrella Movement in 2014 in Hong Kong resulted in his inclusion in TIME magazine’s Most Influential Teens of 2014. He was also nominated for the 2014 Person of the Year.
The landslide victory in Hong Kong, as observers note, could help lay the foundation for the legislative council elections to be held in 2020 as the pro-democracy side will have more resources for political campaigns.
Sunday’s elections in Hong Kong marked a rare silence amid the unrest that rocked the financial hub for months.
Democratic candidates secured nearly 90 percent of the 452 district council seats, international media reports said.
The credit goes to Wong, a son of a middle-class couple Grace and Roger Wong. He developed his organizational and speaking skills through his involvement in church groups when he was studying at the United Christian College (Kowloon East), a private Christian secondary school in Kowloon.
Wong was, however, barred from running in local district council elections.
Wong, who was raised as a Protestant Christian in the Lutheran tradition, was also called one of the ‘world’s greatest leaders’ by Fortune magazine in 2015. Moreover, he was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.
Protests in Hong Kong erupted in June this year over an extradition bill that would have allowed persons to be sent for trial to mainland China, where justice is controlled by the ruling Communist Party.
Even though the bill has been exterminated, protests in Hong Kong have sprouted enrage alleging Beijing for meddling improperly in Hong Kong’s affairs.
Meanwhile, in an effort to tighten control over efforts to manage the turmoil, the China government has established a crisis command center on the mainland side of the border.
Authorities are also considering replacing its official liaison to the semi-autonomous city, locals have said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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