Scholarism’s Agnes Chow urges locals to get involved in debate on Hong Kong’s future
The protest group has been suspended, as former members look to launch political party
A leader of one of the city’s most prominent pro-democracy groups has said Hongkongers from across the political spectrum need to get involved with the debate over what the city will become after 2047, saying the time will come faster than many may think.
She said the “one country, two systems” principle had been eroded ever since Hong Kong was handed back to China, and that questions remained over whether the demise of the principle would actually come before 2047.
Speaking on a DBC radio program, she said: “We have expected that the movement to fight for self-determination will be a long one, longer than the fight against the national education curriculum and the fight for political reform. But is 2047 really that far away? No.”
“No matter how old you are, it is an issue that you should care about. Don’t think that it’s none of your business because it seems far away.”
Scholarism, which was founded by students in 2011 and played a leading role in the 2014 Occupy movement, dropped a bombshell on Sunday with the announcement that it had suspended work before completely disbanding to form a new political party next month.
The group said it made the decision because it had become too politicised in the wake of the 79-day pro-democracy Occupy protests, making it difficult for them to reach out to schools.
The new party, to be led by the group’s convenor Joshua Wong Chi-fung and other core members including Chow, will focus on greater democracy and the future of Hong Kong after 2047. A new student body will be formed in six months to focus on student issues and civic education.
The new party plans to organise a referendum in 10 years’ time for Hongkongers to decide their own future beyond 2047, the expiry date for Beijing’s 50-year promise to run the city under the “one country, two systems” formula. It is also preparing to field at least two candidates in the Legislative Council elections in September.
Chow said that “one country” and “two systems” are supposed to be on equal footing. But it seems that, “one country” has taken precedence over “two systems”, she said.
Earlier this month, the University of Hong Kong’s student magazine Undergrad suggested that the city should become a sovereign state recognised by the UN in 2047.
Looking ahead to the Legco election in September, Chow said neither she nor Wong would be able to run because they are only 19 years old. The Legislative Council Ordinance states that one has to be at least 21 years old to run for a seat.
“An election is not as simple as who a person votes for and how many votes a candidate gets. The most important thing is that, through an election, we are able to get people to care about different issues in Hong Kong,” Chow said.
