Firebrand Democrats Poll Strongly In Hong Kong, Election Organizer Relinquishes Pressure From Beijing

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Young firebrand activists polled strongly in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy primaries in initial results released on Wednesday, but an election organizer resigned after Beijing warned that the vote could violate a new security law national.

Former democracy lawmaker Au Nok-hin helped organize the weekend poll in which more than 610,000 people voted in what was widely seen as a symbolic protest against the general legislation imposed on the city by Beijing.

“Withdrawal is the only option (I have) … protect myself and others,” Au said in a Facebook post.

The primary polls aimed to select candidates for democracy to stand in the September elections for the Legislative Council, the governing body of Hong Kong.

The primary results so far show that 16 candidates from the “resistance” or “localist” camps were elected, overshadowing the traditional Democrats who garnered 12 votes.

The strong performance of the younger generation reflects a possible changing of the guard to a more radical grouping that is likely to irritate authorities in Beijing.

The remaining results are expected later Wednesday.

Some voters are frustrated with Hong Kong’s more moderate traditional democratic groups at a time when Beijing is tightening its grip on the city with new security legislation that many consider the latest attempt to crush freedoms.

Democrats are preparing for the elections on September 6, when they hope to win a majority in the 70-seat legislature for the first time.

In the comments that critics said were intended to strike fear into the community, Beijing’s main office in the city, the Hong Kong Liaison Office, the Chinese government agency Hong Kong and the Macao Affairs Office, and the City leader Carrie Lam have said the primaries could violate the new national security law.

While a spokesperson for the Liaison Office said the pro-democracy camp’s bid for a legislative majority was an attempt to carry out a “color revolution” in Hong Kong, referring to the populist uprising in other parts of the world.

“For those who do not recognize democracy or disagree with democratic values, it is difficult to understand the meaning of primary elections,” said Benny Tai, another organizer of pro-democracy polls.

The new security law punishes what Beijing broadly defines as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces for life and sees Chinese intelligence officers officially operating in the city for the first time.

Critics of the law fear it will crush the broad freedoms promised to Hong Kong when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, while supporters say it will bring stability to the city after a year of sometimes violent anti-government protests.

Hong Kong police arrested the city’s Democratic Party vice chairman Lo Kin-hei on Wednesday on charges from an illegal assembly related to anti-government protests in November, he wrote on his Facebook page. He was released on bail.

Hong Kong police said they charged five men between the ages of 21 and 70 with illegal gathering, without giving names, and they will be named in court on August 21.

The measures come when US President Donald Trump ordered Tuesday to end Hong Kong’s special status under US law to punish China for what he called “oppressive actions” against the former British colony.

“Hong Kong will now be treated in the same way as mainland China,” Trump said.

China said on Wednesday it would impose retaliatory sanctions on U.S. individuals and entities after Trump signed a law that penalizes banks doing business with Chinese officials who implement Hong Kong’s new national security law.

In another blow to the city’s international status, the New York Times (NYT.N) said he would move part of his Hong Kong office to Seoul, as concern grows that the security law will hold back the media and other freedoms in the city.