the pro-democracy party runs the risk of being dissolved. Hong Kong civil society dies

Founded in 2006, the Civic Party cannot find anyone who wants to lead it. Four of its members have been charged with threatening national security. Since the measure came into force, 58 independent organizations have closed their doors. What was once an “open society” has become a place dominated by fear.

Hong Kong () – Due to the effects of the national security law, the Civic Party could be dissolved, reported Alan Leong, current president of the pro-democracy formation.

Speaking to the Hong Kong Free Press, he explained yesterday that he does not want to continue in office, adding that the other six members of the executive committee are also unwilling to succeed him.

A decision on the matter will be made in January, Leong said. Founded in 2006, the Civic Party did not participate in the parliamentary elections in December last year, the first after the electoral reform imposed by Beijing to limit the weight of the democratic front. It should be remembered that the authorities charged four of its members with threats to national security: Alvin Yeung, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam and Lee Yue-shun.

According to a report published on October 2 by the United States Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), since it took effect in the summer of 2020, the security law has been directly and indirectly responsible for the closure or dissolution of 58 independent organizations.

As of June this year, 203 people were arrested in Hong Kong under the draconian measure, imposed by Beijing to silence the democratic camp. Police have also detained some citizens on the basis of a colonial-era anti-sedition law that targets “minor offences,” such as applauding a (pro-democracy) defendant during a trial.

Based on 42 testimonies, the CECC notes that with the security law the authorities have not only repressed the pro-democracy movement but also the city’s vibrant civil society. Newspapers, TV, radios and publications; also professional organizations, boards of directors and universities. All these realities ended up trapped in the networks of censorship and repression to eliminate public debate, a legacy of the British colonial period.

The crackdown, notes the CECC, also affects the religious sphere, and Beijing is determined that the city’s Christian churches be “patriotic.”

What was an “open society” has now become a place dominated by fear where the “silence” of the population prevails, because a person can end up in jail for the simple fact of wearing a black suit (a color associated with the protests of recent years). Those who are afraid to stay, choose to leave and seek refuge abroad.

The hope for the future, say some of those interviewed by CECC, is that as long as democratic organizations are banned, the connections and ties between their members can be preserved.