China Wins: Last Opposition in Hong Kong Gives Up
The League of Social Democrats is disbanding. After the Democratic Party, the last opposition also capitulates - Hong Kong loses its democratic voice.
Hong Kong is increasingly becoming a city without its own voice. The principle of "one country, two systems", which guaranteed the special administrative region freedom when the crown colony was returned to China, now only exists on paper.
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Last pro-democracy party capitulates
On Sunday, the League of Social Democrats, one of the last pro-democracy parties, decided to disband. This move, together with the self-dissolution of the Democratic Party in April, marks the end of any organized opposition in Hong Kong and shows how Beijing is systematically bringing the city under its control.
The League of Social Democrats, known for its left-wing stance and commitment to social justice, made its decision shortly before the fifth anniversary of the National Security Act of 2020. "Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the League of Social Democrats. Unfortunately, we will not live to see that day and are announcing our dissolution," the party said in a statement. It cited "enormous political pressure" as the reason.
Leading members such as Leung Kwok-hung, known as "Long Hair", saw no way out as their room for maneuver had shrunk to zero due to arrests, surveillance and intimidation. The Democratic Party, founded in 1994 and long a symbol of Hong Kong's democratic hopes, had already capitulated in April. "The message was that the party must be dissolved or there will be consequences," said Yeung Sum, a former chairman.
Only "patriots" are still allowed to run for office
Beijing's 2021 electoral reforms, which only allow "patriots" to run for public office, had pushed the party out of political life. Without influence and under constant threat, the party gave up. The National Security Law of 2020, introduced after the 2019 protests, is at the heart of this development. It gives the authorities far-reaching powers to suppress any form of dissent. Arrests, raids and threats of prosecution for alleged foreign links have stifled civil society.
Other organizations such as the China Labor Bulletin were also forced to close this June, officially for financial reasons, but pressure from Beijing seems to have been the real reason.
International reactions remain limited
The international reaction remains weak, especially in Europe. "Within a few years, China's state and party leadership has largely shredded Hong Kong's autonomy," wrote journalist Steffen Wurzel on X. While the Anglo-American press covers the topic in detail, reporting in Germany remains marginal. Apart from isolated articles in major media outlets, the political landscape in this country is silent. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the other hand, declared: "Beijing has broken its promises to the people of Hong Kong". But concrete measures are lacking worldwide. The dissolution of the League of Social Democrats and the Democratic Party is further proof of Beijing's plan to fully integrate Hong Kong into the Chinese system.
Interest in elections is waning
In the last election to represent the districts, voter turnout was 27.3%. The election campaign was sluggish and overall interest was low. There was no comparison with the elections in the era before the Security Law and the electoral reforms, which clearly favored parties and politicians close to Beijing. There was hardly any street campaigning, debate, media coverage. The democracy that Hong Kongers had hoped for after the handover has been laid to rest.
Hong Kong's spirit of freedom, carried by courageous activists, is quietly dying under pressure from the central government. Another nail in the coffin for the once vibrant city, the jewel at the end of the Pearl River.