Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy party moves to disband as freedoms dwindle

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Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy party moves to disband as freedoms dwindle

[html]Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, speaks during an interview at the Democratic Party's office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

2025-04-12T03:13:44Z

                                       

HONG KONG (AP) — When Yeung Sum co-founded the city’s largest pro-democracy party more than 30 years ago, he knew building a democratic Hong Kong would be a “difficult dream.” Still, it was not impossible.

Today, his Democratic Party is         data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-democratic-party-disbands-2ca9c8700b4f62335e9c7608d7172f99">moving toward dissolution, a symbolic marker of the diminishing Western-style civil liberties and high degree of autonomy that the ruling Communist Party in Beijing promised to keep intact in the former British colony for at least 50 years when it returned to China in 1997.

        data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-laws-international-news-photography-hong-kong-f301c03e63f0e75d2e17104ad2c53f34">Pro-democracy protests that paralyzed Hong Kong in 2019 led to a crackdown that has all but silenced dissent through         data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-district-council-election-546a33a54ca9a5317e3bd7fa5f17a54b">restricted elections, media censorship and a China-imposed         data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-europe-business-5a7f50d5d5027fda34f9addeb883e809">national security law that saw some of Yeung’s party         data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-activists-sentencing-unofficial-primary-1ed13be76fa4918d83f7d3e498f2f543">members jailed. Dozens of civil society groups closed down.

           
               
                   
   

       
   


       
       
   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   
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Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, is interviewed at the Democratic Party’s office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

               
           
       
       
   

   
   
   

               
           
       

Former chairperson Yeung said in an interview with The Associated Press that Chinese officials told him the party needed to disband. He urged his members to support the motion to give the leadership mandate to handle the process.

   

“I’m not very happy about it,” said Yeung. “But I can see if we refuse the call to disband, we may pay a very huge price for it.”

Others received similar messages. Party veteran Fred Li said Chinese officials implied the party wouldn’t survive through this year’s legislative election when he asked about the possibility of its members running. Another founding member, Sin Chung-kai, said some Hong Kong-based members were warned in early February of consequences if the party continued to exist.

   
   
       
           
               
   
   


   
   

       
   

           
       
   
   

Promising early years

   
   
       
           
               
   
   


   
   

       
   

           
       
   
   

The Democratic Party was formed in 1994 through a merger of two pro-democracy groups. According to its manifesto, it supports Hong Kong’s return to China.

In its early years, it won the most seats in the legislative council. Before Beijing         data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-legislature-9a32f5f23df117c63a61db751801501b">changed electoral rules in 2021 to ensure only “patriots” can run, the party was a major pro-democracy voice in the legislature even after it no longer held the largest number of seats. Back then, Yeung said, the pro-democracy camp generally won about 60% of the popular vote.

           
               
                   
   

       
   


       
       
   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   
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Yeung Sum, the founding member of the Democratic Party, poses for a photo at the Democratic Party’s office in Prince Edward in Hong Kong on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/May James)

               
           
       
       
   

   
   
   

               
           
       
         
           
               
               
   

       

       
       
   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   

   
       

   
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Empty chairs at the Democratic Party's office. (AP Photo/May James)