Alliance led by Youngspiration puts self-determination at top of manifesto
KC.NG@SCMP.COM
UPDATED : Saturday, 09 April, 2016, 1:01pm
Youngspiration activists Yau Wai-ching (right) and Baggio Leung Chung-hang announce their plan for an alliance of localist groups. Photo: Dickson Lee
Post-Occupy localist groups are joining forces to fight for seats in September’s Legislative Council elections, with self-determination for Hong Kong at the centre of their joint manifesto.
Stopping short of advocating a breakaway from China, the alliance, to be led by Youngspiration, insists independence should be among the options Hongkongers are allowed to consider.
Youngspiration convenor Baggio Leung Chung-hang, however, said they were not prepared to coordinate with Demosisto, the new party, also advocating self-determination, to be led by student activist Joshua Wong.
“I think it is important for voters to have more choices,” said Leung, who is tipped to run in the September elections with fellow core Youngspiration member Yau Wai-ching.
Youngspiration is one of the several political groups to emerge after the Occupy campaign for universal suffrage in 2014.
Comprising mainly young political greenhorns, it was launched in March last year but caught media attention after its member Kwong Po-yin unseated veteran Kowloon City district council chairman Lau Wai-wing in last year’s district elections.
The new alliance consists of at least five post-Occupy political groups. And talks are understood to be underway with Hong Kong Indigenous – a pro-independence radical localist group headed by Edward Leung Tin-kei, who, also stood in February’s Legislative Council by-election.
The plan is to field at least one candidate in a geographical constituency. A formal announce is expected as early as tomorrow.
Baggio Leung said: “One of our main aims is to make use of the elections to promote our roadmap and timetable for self-determination. To us, election is a means, not the end.
“We like to take the opportunity to reach out to people and show them how our ideas are going to work.”
Leung said they faced a race against time in view of the Basic Law’s guarantee that Hong Kong could keep its capitalist system and way of life unchanged for 50 years until 2047. “We cannot wait until 2046 to plan the post-2047 future,” said Leung.
He agreed independence for Hong Kong was not part of mainstream opinion at the moment. “If you held a referendum today, I am sure the pro-independence side would lose,” he said.
But he added: “You have to deliver solutions to address people’s concerns [about breaking from China] first. Say, where are you going to import water from if it is not from China? Or is there anyone capable of ruling Hong Kong [after independence]?”
Leung said they saw Hong Kong as a self-governing city with exceptional international standing, which had reached a critical moment when its core values had been “encroached” by China. “We do not especially want to think about independence. If Beijing could just leave us alone and did not meddle in our affairs too much, I do not think many people would bother about it,” he said.
“But Beijing is stretching its hands longer and longer. We can see that the city’s core values are being eroded. As Hong Kong people, it is our responsibility to save Hong Kong and we should do something before it is too late.”
Party colleague Yau said catering for local needs should be a “must” for any political group based in Hong Kong. But they would let others define whether Youngspiration was pro-independence or not, she said.
“For those around our age, I would say, not many would like China,” added Yau.
Leung maintained they would not mind holding talks with Beijing envoys or representatives of the pro-establishment camp.
“But we do not want to waste time doing meaningless things,” said Leung. “Say, if the Chinese side rings us and says it wants to hear our views about Hong Kong’s post-2047 future, I would be very pleased to go to see them.
“But if it is just a meeting to rub shoulders, sorry, I am afraid I cannot afford the time.”
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1934753/hong-kong-localists-groups-join-forces-legislative-council
