泛民逾70區選當選人集會聲援理大留守者，校方促港府人道放行
香港理工大學校方與警方會面，再度要求港府及警方以和平人道方式安排留守者離開。另外，區議會選舉一批泛民主派當選人在尖東舉行集會，聲援理大留守者。
理大校方今天發表聲明，稱估計目前尚有數十人留守理大校園。聲明提到，自警方上週一（18日）同意暫不採取任何方式進入校園，校方一直努力勸喻留守者離開，至今約有1000人離開校園，當中包括約50名理大學生、300名中學生。
聲明提到，校園目前一片狼藉，衛生情況、空氣質素亦差。由於校園環境日益危險，留守者的健康及情緒愈來愈差，校方會見警方時已再度要求以和平人道方式安排留守者離開，包括警方登記留守者的身份證後放行，以至儘快解封校園，將管理權歸還校方、以便展開復修工程等。
今天下午，民陣召集人岑子杰、立法會議員鄺俊宇、范國威、梁耀忠等逾70名區選當選人，在尖東百週年紀念公園集會，各人輪流發言，包括聲援理大留守者、促請警方儘快解封理大校園等。
他們隨後與警方協商，將派出五名代表進入理大校園，嘗試接觸留守者以提供協助；同時，其餘當選人將轉到禮賓府，向特首林鄭月娥表達訴求。
美國海軍部長史賓沙被指私下言論與公開立場不一，被要求辭職
美國國防部長埃斯柏（Mark Esper）證實，早前要求海軍部長史賓沙（Richard Spencer）辭職，並已於當地週日（24日）收到史賓沙的辭呈。埃斯柏指史賓沙的私下言論與公開立場不一，已對他失去信任和信心，因此要求他主動請辭。
據報道，今次風波源於史賓沙處理海豹突擊隊成員加拉查（Edward Gallagher）的手法。加拉查為海豹突擊隊排長，曾八次獲派海外服役，兩度獲頒銅星勳章；然而於2017年在伊拉克摩蘇爾服役期間，加拉查被指割喉殺害一名「伊斯蘭國」（IS）戰俘、並在屍體旁邊拍照，涉嫌違反軍方規定。
加拉查隨後被送往軍事法庭，被控謀殺、企圖殺人、在高處射擊平民、與俘虜屍體合照等七宗罪。最終，法庭裁定加拉查只有與俘虜屍體合照一項罪名成立，軍方決定將他降級。
不過，總統特朗普不滿法庭裁決及軍方處罰，反而稱讚加拉查是「戰爭英雄」，並行使權力恢復其軍階，又強調不會容讓海軍褫奪他象徵突擊隊員身份的「三叉戟徽章」。據報道，事件令白宮與軍方高層的關係緊張。
史賓沙曾公開表示，認為應由海軍委員會審議加拉查的去留問題。然而，有國防部官員引述白宮高級官員透露，史賓沙曾秘密向白宮建議准許加拉查留在部隊、保留「三叉戟徽章」，以至以現時軍階退役。史賓沙的建議與公開立場不符，同時被指有私下越級向白宮提出建議之嫌。
最終，史賓沙應埃斯柏的要求提出請辭。他在辭職信中提到，自己與委任他的三軍總司令（編註：由總統擔任）在良好軍紀這項重大議題上有不同的原則和見解。特朗普則在 Twitter 發文，重申不滿海軍處理加拉查事件的手法，並宣布提名駐挪威大使 Ken Braithwaite 接任海軍部長。
澳洲情報機關正調查中方派人競選澳洲國會議員的案件
澳洲安全情報組織（ASIO）確認，正在調查中國情報組織涉嫌派人競選澳洲國會議員的案件。澳洲總理莫里森（Scott Morrison）表示，相關傳聞令他深感憂慮。
澳洲《時代報》、第九頻道及《悉尼先驅晨報》早前發表聯合調查報道，指有疑似中國情報組織向澳洲自由黨（LP）黨員、任職豪華汽車經紀的趙波（Bo Zhao，音譯）提出，給他100萬澳元，要求他參加澳洲國會選舉。
趙波去年向澳洲安全情報組織披露事件，供稱負責聯絡他的是一名墨爾本商人。然而至今年3月，趙波被發現死於墨爾本一間汽車旅館，死因至今尚未查明。
澳洲安全情報組織發表聲明，強調情報機關認真看待有關中方企圖在澳洲國會安插「代理人」的報道，且早在報道發表前已經在調查今次案件。聲明強調，澳洲國家安全持續受到外國情報活動的威脅，當局會繼續對抗。
美國眾議院情報委員會開始撰寫彈劾調查聽證會報告
美國眾議院情報委員會結束為期兩週、合共五場的彈劾調查第一階段公開聽證會。眾議院情報委員會主席希夫（Adam Schiff）表示，委員會目前未有打算再舉行聽證會，但調查工作仍在進行中，不排除會發現更多證據，委員會亦有可能傳召更多證人作供。
眾議院情報委員會結束第一階段公開聽證會後，將根據取得的供詞、證據等撰寫報告，完成後提交予眾議院司法委員會。司法委員會將判斷是否有足夠證據，對總統特朗普正式展開彈劾程序。
南韓 KARA 前成員具荷拉陳屍寓所，警方初步排除他殺可能
南韓偶像團體 KARA 前成員具荷拉於昨晚（24日）被發現陳屍寓所，終年28歲。首爾地方警察廳廳長今天對傳媒表示，初步調查排除他殺可能。
據南韓傳媒報道，具荷拉於昨晚約6時被發現陳屍於首爾江南區的寓所。首爾地方警察廳廳長指出，警方查看閉路電視片段，發現具荷拉於昨日凌晨零時35分返回寓所，其後未再外出。警方初步調查後排除他殺可能，但具荷拉的確切死因尚待進一步調查。另外，警方在案發現場尋獲相信由具荷拉親筆撰寫的字條，內容顯得「相當悲觀」，但暫時無法確認字條是否遺書，亦不便公開字條內容。
具荷拉於2008年以 KARA 成員身份出道，至2016年與被指壓榨旗下藝人的經理人公司 DSP Media 解約，隨後轉投 Keyeast Entertainment，至生前為日本經理人公司尾木製作旗下藝人。
去年，具荷拉時任男友崔某報案，自稱遭具荷拉毆打；具荷拉反駁，指事件屬「相互施暴」，並展示較崔某更為嚴重的傷勢。事件隨後持續發酵，並曝光崔某曾以性愛影片威脅具荷拉的消息。
然而，消息反而令具荷拉招致部份南韓網民的惡意指摘，例如批評她生活不檢點、不夠謹慎、與壞人交往等。另一方面，也有女性組織「不便的勇氣」於去年10月在首爾舉行集會聲援具荷拉，呼籲嚴懲性罪行、以非法拍攝「色情錄影」以作報復等行為；另外，有網民在青瓦台網站發起聯署請願，要求重罰「與崔某類似的色情錄影報復罪犯」。
早在今年5月，具荷拉已曾於寓所燒炭自殺，但被經理人及時發現。6月，具荷拉在社交網站發文稱「抑鬱症很不容易」，但強調自己會努力克服抑鬱症，向大家展現積極向上的一面；她又提到公眾有表達的自由，但希望大家在發布惡意留言之前三思、想想「我是個什麽樣的人」。
今年8月，崔某被裁定恐嚇、強迫、傷害、毁壞財物等罪名成立，被判監禁18個月、緩刑三年。
上月14日，偶像團體 f(x) 前成員 Sulli（雪莉）在寓所上吊身亡，終年25歲。作為 Sulli 生前摯友的具荷拉在社交網站上悼念，並強調自己會「好好活下去」，最終卻不幸離世。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191125-evening-brief/
Monday, November 25, 2019
[端新聞], !新聞總滙 Daily Summary, 早報：BBC 援引中國政府新文件，指新疆「再教育營」形同監獄
BBC 援引新文件：新疆「再教育營」形同監獄
繼《紐約時報》之後，英國廣播公司（BBC）週日也公布了其從國際調查記者協會（ICIJ）獲得的中國政府內部文件，顯示中國當局對新疆「再教育營」的管理模式形同監獄。
BBC 引述中共新疆政法委書記朱海侖2017年向「再教育營」發出一份九頁文件，顯示當局指示管理者按照監獄標準進行嚴格管治，包括「絕不允許發生逃跑事件」、「嚴格學員活動管控，防止在上課、就餐、如廁、洗澡、就醫、親情會面等過程中發生逃跑事件」。
在「學習」上，文件要求將國語（普通話）學習作為工作重點：使用國語教材，用國語講課，加強書面及口語考試，將「考試成績特別是國語測試成績」列入檔案，作為「學員結業」的主要依據。
在管理上，文件要求進行分類管理，設置「強制區、嚴管區、普管區」，對不同區採取不同的管理方式，「加大違規行為懲戒和處罰力度」。
文件還列出「結業」的若干標準，包括「收教時問題較輕」、「培訓至少一年以上」、各項成績達標、「屬於普管區」等。
文件還指，「教育培訓中心工作政策性強、敏感度高」，要「嚴格保密」。
《紐約時報》上週曾指，獲得超過400頁中國官方內部文件，揭露新疆「再教育營」大規模拘禁的政治決策和運作方式。
中國外交部發言人在對《紐約時報》回應中表示，新疆事務純屬中國內政，重在保持繁榮穩定。發言人形容《紐約時報》報導屬移花接木，斷章取義，但沒有否認文件的真實性。
中國男子自稱「間諜」向澳媒披露北京情報活動
澳洲媒體上週五報導，一名中國叛逃者王立強（Wang William Liqiang，音譯）向澳方尋求庇護。
他自稱中國間諜，參與過多項北京主導的間諜行動，包括干預香港、台灣政治。該男子提交了17頁自白內容，不過其真實性遭到質疑。
上海公安：王立強是涉案在逃人員
上海市公安局靜安分局23日晚在官方微博發布通報，指經公安機關核查，該名男子真實姓名是王立強，26歲，福建南平人，無業，是涉案在逃人員。
通報指，2016年10月，王立強因詐騙罪被福建省光澤縣人民法院判處有期徒刑一年零三個月，緩刑一年零六個月。2019年2月，王立強虛構進口汽車投資項目詐騙東某460餘萬元人民幣。2019年4月19日，上海市公安局靜安分局以涉嫌詐騙罪對王立強進行立案偵查。
通報還指，2019年4月10日，王立強前往香港。經核查，其所持有的所謂中華人民共和國護照和香港永久居民身分證件均是偽造證件。目前，公安機關對此案正在進一步工作中。
台灣兩黨：力求2020大選不被干預
王立強向澳洲媒體表示，他曾用偽造南韓護照進入台灣，為干預台灣2018年地方選舉及2020年總統大選。
國民黨週六發布新聞稿指，作為在野黨不具有執政公權力，呼籲民進黨政府儘快查明事實，令台灣2020年大選能夠公平、公正、公開舉行。國民黨同時提醒民進黨政府，不要借機大打「恐共牌」，謀求選舉利益。
民進黨發言人李晏榕週六到刑事警察局報案，指民進黨一系列競選影片配音、字幕等遭惡意篡改，懷疑是大陸網軍所為。
總統蔡英文隨後表示，中國大陸影響台灣大選意圖非常明顯，介入影子越來越明顯、清楚，呼籲民眾須戒慎恐懼。
香港公司：從未參與情報活動，王立強非員工
王立強在自白中表示，他曾是香港上市公司「中國創新投資」職員，該公司是北京在港間諜基地，包括參與策劃銅鑼灣書店事件。
中國創新投資隨即發表聲明，否認王立強為公司員工，並表示公司及主席兼行政總裁從未參與過任何情報活動。聲明還指控澳洲媒體報導內容荒謬，純屬虛構，公司將對此採取法律行動。
彭博正式宣布角逐2020總統大選
紐約前市長、億萬富豪彭博（Michael Bloomberg）週日正式宣布以民主黨人身份角逐2020年美國總統大選。他將與民主黨其他17名參選人爭奪黨內總統候選人提名資格。
現年77歲的彭博在聲明中表示，參選是為「打敗特朗普，重建美國」。他相信自己在「經濟、政治、慈善」領域的獨特經驗能夠幫他勝出。
商界出身的彭博於1981年創立彭博有限合夥企業（Bloomberg L.P.），目前仍然擔任行政總裁。據福布斯估計，彭博坐擁534億美元身家，在今年的福布斯美國富豪榜上排名第八。
2002年至2013年間，彭博連續擔任三屆紐約市長。彭博早年隸屬民主黨，但2001年競選紐約市長前轉投共和黨，在「911 恐襲」後數週舉行的選舉中勝中。至2007年，彭博退出共和黨，成為無黨派人士，直至2018年重投民主黨。在2016年總統大選前，彭博亦曾考慮參選總統，但最終決定放棄角逐。
約翰遜公布保守黨競選綱領
英國首相約翰遜週日發表了59頁保守黨競選綱領宣言，表示將主要致力於「完成脱歐」，並「打造一個新的英國」。此時距離英國12月12日大選還有18天。民調顯示，保守黨支持率大幅領先工黨。
約翰遜表示，他將在聖誕節前再度令下議院對脱歐協議進行表決，希望1月31日限期前完成脱歐，不再延遲期限。
他還表示，將會增加科研、教育和基建資源投入；承諾任期內不會提高收入税、消費税和保險費用；2050年前實現淨零碳排放的環保目標等。
教宗在長崎演講，呼籲全球廢除核武
羅馬天主教教宗方濟各近日亞洲巡訪，週日在日本長崎爆心地公園發表演講，呼籲全球廢除核武器。隨後教宗又走訪日本另一個遭原子彈攻擊的城市廣島並演講。
方濟各在演講中表示，「核攻擊會給人道上和環境上帶來毀滅性結局」，長崎這座城市就是見證者。
他批評國家之間軍備競爭是一種浪費，擔憂各國由於相互不信任，限制武器使用的國際框架存在崩潰危險。
他表示，教廷支持聯合國2017年通過的《禁止核武器條約》；呼籲各國為實現和平，遵循包括該條約在內的國際法原則，迅速採取行動。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191125-morning-brief/
繼《紐約時報》之後，英國廣播公司（BBC）週日也公布了其從國際調查記者協會（ICIJ）獲得的中國政府內部文件，顯示中國當局對新疆「再教育營」的管理模式形同監獄。
BBC 引述中共新疆政法委書記朱海侖2017年向「再教育營」發出一份九頁文件，顯示當局指示管理者按照監獄標準進行嚴格管治，包括「絕不允許發生逃跑事件」、「嚴格學員活動管控，防止在上課、就餐、如廁、洗澡、就醫、親情會面等過程中發生逃跑事件」。
在「學習」上，文件要求將國語（普通話）學習作為工作重點：使用國語教材，用國語講課，加強書面及口語考試，將「考試成績特別是國語測試成績」列入檔案，作為「學員結業」的主要依據。
在管理上，文件要求進行分類管理，設置「強制區、嚴管區、普管區」，對不同區採取不同的管理方式，「加大違規行為懲戒和處罰力度」。
文件還列出「結業」的若干標準，包括「收教時問題較輕」、「培訓至少一年以上」、各項成績達標、「屬於普管區」等。
文件還指，「教育培訓中心工作政策性強、敏感度高」，要「嚴格保密」。
《紐約時報》上週曾指，獲得超過400頁中國官方內部文件，揭露新疆「再教育營」大規模拘禁的政治決策和運作方式。
中國外交部發言人在對《紐約時報》回應中表示，新疆事務純屬中國內政，重在保持繁榮穩定。發言人形容《紐約時報》報導屬移花接木，斷章取義，但沒有否認文件的真實性。
中國男子自稱「間諜」向澳媒披露北京情報活動
澳洲媒體上週五報導，一名中國叛逃者王立強（Wang William Liqiang，音譯）向澳方尋求庇護。
他自稱中國間諜，參與過多項北京主導的間諜行動，包括干預香港、台灣政治。該男子提交了17頁自白內容，不過其真實性遭到質疑。
上海公安：王立強是涉案在逃人員
上海市公安局靜安分局23日晚在官方微博發布通報，指經公安機關核查，該名男子真實姓名是王立強，26歲，福建南平人，無業，是涉案在逃人員。
通報指，2016年10月，王立強因詐騙罪被福建省光澤縣人民法院判處有期徒刑一年零三個月，緩刑一年零六個月。2019年2月，王立強虛構進口汽車投資項目詐騙東某460餘萬元人民幣。2019年4月19日，上海市公安局靜安分局以涉嫌詐騙罪對王立強進行立案偵查。
通報還指，2019年4月10日，王立強前往香港。經核查，其所持有的所謂中華人民共和國護照和香港永久居民身分證件均是偽造證件。目前，公安機關對此案正在進一步工作中。
台灣兩黨：力求2020大選不被干預
王立強向澳洲媒體表示，他曾用偽造南韓護照進入台灣，為干預台灣2018年地方選舉及2020年總統大選。
國民黨週六發布新聞稿指，作為在野黨不具有執政公權力，呼籲民進黨政府儘快查明事實，令台灣2020年大選能夠公平、公正、公開舉行。國民黨同時提醒民進黨政府，不要借機大打「恐共牌」，謀求選舉利益。
民進黨發言人李晏榕週六到刑事警察局報案，指民進黨一系列競選影片配音、字幕等遭惡意篡改，懷疑是大陸網軍所為。
總統蔡英文隨後表示，中國大陸影響台灣大選意圖非常明顯，介入影子越來越明顯、清楚，呼籲民眾須戒慎恐懼。
香港公司：從未參與情報活動，王立強非員工
王立強在自白中表示，他曾是香港上市公司「中國創新投資」職員，該公司是北京在港間諜基地，包括參與策劃銅鑼灣書店事件。
中國創新投資隨即發表聲明，否認王立強為公司員工，並表示公司及主席兼行政總裁從未參與過任何情報活動。聲明還指控澳洲媒體報導內容荒謬，純屬虛構，公司將對此採取法律行動。
彭博正式宣布角逐2020總統大選
紐約前市長、億萬富豪彭博（Michael Bloomberg）週日正式宣布以民主黨人身份角逐2020年美國總統大選。他將與民主黨其他17名參選人爭奪黨內總統候選人提名資格。
現年77歲的彭博在聲明中表示，參選是為「打敗特朗普，重建美國」。他相信自己在「經濟、政治、慈善」領域的獨特經驗能夠幫他勝出。
商界出身的彭博於1981年創立彭博有限合夥企業（Bloomberg L.P.），目前仍然擔任行政總裁。據福布斯估計，彭博坐擁534億美元身家，在今年的福布斯美國富豪榜上排名第八。
2002年至2013年間，彭博連續擔任三屆紐約市長。彭博早年隸屬民主黨，但2001年競選紐約市長前轉投共和黨，在「911 恐襲」後數週舉行的選舉中勝中。至2007年，彭博退出共和黨，成為無黨派人士，直至2018年重投民主黨。在2016年總統大選前，彭博亦曾考慮參選總統，但最終決定放棄角逐。
約翰遜公布保守黨競選綱領
英國首相約翰遜週日發表了59頁保守黨競選綱領宣言，表示將主要致力於「完成脱歐」，並「打造一個新的英國」。此時距離英國12月12日大選還有18天。民調顯示，保守黨支持率大幅領先工黨。
約翰遜表示，他將在聖誕節前再度令下議院對脱歐協議進行表決，希望1月31日限期前完成脱歐，不再延遲期限。
他還表示，將會增加科研、教育和基建資源投入；承諾任期內不會提高收入税、消費税和保險費用；2050年前實現淨零碳排放的環保目標等。
教宗在長崎演講，呼籲全球廢除核武
羅馬天主教教宗方濟各近日亞洲巡訪，週日在日本長崎爆心地公園發表演講，呼籲全球廢除核武器。隨後教宗又走訪日本另一個遭原子彈攻擊的城市廣島並演講。
方濟各在演講中表示，「核攻擊會給人道上和環境上帶來毀滅性結局」，長崎這座城市就是見證者。
他批評國家之間軍備競爭是一種浪費，擔憂各國由於相互不信任，限制武器使用的國際框架存在崩潰危險。
他表示，教廷支持聯合國2017年通過的《禁止核武器條約》；呼籲各國為實現和平，遵循包括該條約在內的國際法原則，迅速採取行動。
https://theinitium.com/article/20191125-morning-brief/
[Washington Post], !即時 Instant News, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy parties sweep pro-Beijing establishment aside in local elections
HONG KONG — Pro-democracy parties scored stunning gains in the Hong Kong district council elections Sunday, sweeping aside pro-Beijing parties in a significant endorsement of the protest movement and an indictment of the political establishment seen as responsible for months of unrest in the city.
Voters took to the polls in record numbers to cast ballots in the only fully democratic election in the Chinese territory, an early sign that they wanted to send a strong message to their government and to the Communist Party in Beijing.
Early results compiled by the South China Morning Post showed pro-democracy parties winning 278 of the first 344 seats to be declared, pro-Beijing parties taking 42, and independents 24. Many prominent figures in the protest movement won, and many leading pro-establishment figures were unseated. Pro-democrats look to be able to secure 12 of 18 district councils available in Hong Kong — before this vote, they did not have a majority in any.
Pro-democracy parties had comfortably surpassed the number of seats they won in 2015 and were on course for their strongest showing ever in district council elections. They also appear to have secured all 117 seats afforded to them on the 1,200-member election committee that votes for Hong Kong’s leader — a system designed to give an upper hand in the process to pro-Beijing groups and business interests.
The pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the largest party in the district councils, had won just 26 races and lost 156. The pro-democracy Democratic Party, in contrast, had won 54 and lost only two.
The turnout — 2.94 million, or more than 71 percent of the 4.13 million eligible voters — was more than double the 1.4 million who voted in local elections in 2015. Voter registration was also a record high, driven in part by 390,000 first-time voters.
“Hong Kongers regard the election as a referendum and have clearly spoken that they are unhappy with how Hong Kong and Beijing have dealt with the ongoing protests in the last six months,” said Kelvin Lam, who won the South Horizons West seat, according to the South China Morning Post.
Lam was drafted to contest the seat for the pro-democracy camp after prominent activist Joshua Wong was barred from standing.
In 2015, pro-Beijing parties won just over 54 percent of the vote and 298 of the 452 seats to take control of all 18 district councils. They tend to be better funded and organized than pro-democracy groups, with solid links with the business elite and political establishment that allow them to argue that they are in the best position to get things done for their constituents.
Pro-democracy groups won 40 percent of the vote and 126 seats in 2015. Independents took the remainder.
But this time around, elections that have typically been fought on issues such as traffic, trash collection and the nuisance of pests such as wild boars became a referendum on the most fundamental issue in the territory: Whether one stands with the movement fighting for democratic freedoms or with the pro-
Beijing establishment that has had a grip on the former colony since Britain handed it back to China in 1997.
The protests were sparked in June by a proposal to allow criminal suspects to be extradited to China. The government eventually withdrew the proposal, but not before demonstrators added more demands: Full democracy, retracting the official description of the protests as riots, amnesty for arrested protesters and an inquiry into alleged police brutality.
“The voice of the public is loud and clear: Five demands, not one less,” said Roy Kwong Chun-Yu, who won in the Pek Long constituency. If Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam “doesn’t listen to our voice,” he said, “she must still not be awake.”
Even in pro-Beijing strongholds such as North Point, fresh-faced candidates running on an explicitly pro-democracy platform unseated longtime incumbents. Among them was 23-year-old Karrine Fu, who beat 45-year-old Hung Lin-Cham, the DAB incumbent who had won the past three elections.
The DAB threw its weight behind the unpopular extradition bill. Its vice chairman, Holden Chow, lost his seat to a 25-year-old pro-democracy activist in one of several upsets for the party.
Lo Kin-Hei, vice chairman of the Democratic Party, called the result a “clear win” for the pro-
democracy camp. “Really wonder what Carrie Lam & [Chinese President] Xi Jinping thought when they see the record-breaking turnout & result today,” he tweeted.
Voters waited in hours-long lines that snaked around city blocks, an unusual experience for Hong Kong residents. Almost every neighborhood has seen violent unrest at some point over the nearly six-month-long protest movement, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets and protesters countering with molotov cocktails and projectiles.
“Everyone just asks what side you are on, pro-democracy or pro-establishment,” said Sabrina Koo, a pro-democracy candidate. “Only after that do they ask us what our plans are for the community and about local issues.”
Voters, relishing the opportunity to express their democratic rights, were unperturbed by the lines. Gloria Lai, 40, took her two children to a polling station close to a major protest flash point in Wan Chai: a road that in the past months has seen tear gas, water cannons and massive fires. They waited an hour to vote.
“I want my children to always remember that it is their right to vote, it is their right to voice out their opinion, and this is something to be treasured,” she said. “We don’t have the right to vote for our chief executive, but we have this.”
The contest for district council is the only fully democratic election in Hong Kong. The city’s leader is not directly elected. Only half of the Legislative Council, the lawmaking body, is chosen by the people.
Another voter in Wan Chai, which is represented by pro-Beijing politicians, said he flew back to Hong Kong from Britain, where he has lived for the past decade, to cast his ballot. The 39-year-old man, who asked to be identified only by his last name, Chan, said he has never seen such lines in an election, including in Britain.
“This is the best way to express our views. It is the right way,” he said. “We don’t want violence on the streets, but if we don’t have a way to express our political views in any other way, that will happen.”
Francis Lee, who researches public opinion and the media at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the high turnout, while “expected because of the heated political and social atmosphere” of recent months, was still impressive for Hong Kong.
“A combination of police tactics and the [subway and rail network’s] tendency to close numerous stations during protest events has made it extremely difficult to hold any large-scale peaceful protests,” he said. “Many moderate supporters of the movement were frustrated by the lack of opportunities to express themselves,” he said, and saw the election as a way to reenter the fold.
The well-funded establishment camp was hoping for support from a “silent majority” that has grown uncomfortable with protest violence in Hong Kong.
Some voters expressed a desire for a return of peace to the city streets and said they were voting for experienced candidates.
“Nothing is more important than bettering the lives of ordinary people,” said a 74-year-old pro-Beijing supporter who gave his last name as Chow. “The responsibility of our youth is to study hard, not to make society a mess.”
Others said the protest movement had changed their views. Two voters in Sai Wan Ho, where a young protester was shot at close range this month, said they were deeply influenced by what they had seen.
“I couldn’t sleep well last night, I’ve been anticipating this election for so long,” said a 52-year-old man who gave his last name as Wong. “I really hope these elections can change the situation and change the political development of Hong Kong.”
The election was overwhelmingly peaceful and orderly, marking a rare weekend without violence or police action. Riot officers in green fatigues, some wearing masks, were seen at some polling stations, but the atmosphere was generally calm.
Otherwise, it felt like a typical weekend in the city before the protests began in June: Families out shopping and eating and people running errands. The weeks leading up to the vote saw the biggest escalation in violence since the protests began, with hundreds of demonstrators arrested after police seized a university campus that had become a fortified base for the movement.
Two protesters still holed up in Hong Kong Polytechnic University held a news conference urging people to vote.
Hundreds of candidates chose to run in response to the events of the past months. They included Cathy Yau, a police officer who left the force over concerns about abuse of authority and ran on a pro-democracy platform; Jimmy Sham, a leader of the Civil Human Rights Front, the group behind the largest peaceful rallies in the movement; and Tommy Cheung, who decided to contest elections in Yuen Long after mobs attacked protesters at a subway station there.
Sham appeared at his constituency in Sha Tin, walking with the help of cane, a reminder of the political violence against candidates ahead of the vote. Sham was attacked in October by a group of men wielding hammers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/record-turnout-in-hong-kong-election-seen-as-a-referendum-on-the-pro-democracy-protest-movement/2019/11/24/31804b00-0df5-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html?fbclid=IwAR1KXMCENrVUH-mlDZtjE9tsSWToaL_1MpdjvHRmX55AIWoYFzuG23qMkkg
Voters took to the polls in record numbers to cast ballots in the only fully democratic election in the Chinese territory, an early sign that they wanted to send a strong message to their government and to the Communist Party in Beijing.
Early results compiled by the South China Morning Post showed pro-democracy parties winning 278 of the first 344 seats to be declared, pro-Beijing parties taking 42, and independents 24. Many prominent figures in the protest movement won, and many leading pro-establishment figures were unseated. Pro-democrats look to be able to secure 12 of 18 district councils available in Hong Kong — before this vote, they did not have a majority in any.
Pro-democracy parties had comfortably surpassed the number of seats they won in 2015 and were on course for their strongest showing ever in district council elections. They also appear to have secured all 117 seats afforded to them on the 1,200-member election committee that votes for Hong Kong’s leader — a system designed to give an upper hand in the process to pro-Beijing groups and business interests.
The pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the largest party in the district councils, had won just 26 races and lost 156. The pro-democracy Democratic Party, in contrast, had won 54 and lost only two.
The turnout — 2.94 million, or more than 71 percent of the 4.13 million eligible voters — was more than double the 1.4 million who voted in local elections in 2015. Voter registration was also a record high, driven in part by 390,000 first-time voters.
“Hong Kongers regard the election as a referendum and have clearly spoken that they are unhappy with how Hong Kong and Beijing have dealt with the ongoing protests in the last six months,” said Kelvin Lam, who won the South Horizons West seat, according to the South China Morning Post.
Lam was drafted to contest the seat for the pro-democracy camp after prominent activist Joshua Wong was barred from standing.
In 2015, pro-Beijing parties won just over 54 percent of the vote and 298 of the 452 seats to take control of all 18 district councils. They tend to be better funded and organized than pro-democracy groups, with solid links with the business elite and political establishment that allow them to argue that they are in the best position to get things done for their constituents.
Pro-democracy groups won 40 percent of the vote and 126 seats in 2015. Independents took the remainder.
But this time around, elections that have typically been fought on issues such as traffic, trash collection and the nuisance of pests such as wild boars became a referendum on the most fundamental issue in the territory: Whether one stands with the movement fighting for democratic freedoms or with the pro-
Beijing establishment that has had a grip on the former colony since Britain handed it back to China in 1997.
The protests were sparked in June by a proposal to allow criminal suspects to be extradited to China. The government eventually withdrew the proposal, but not before demonstrators added more demands: Full democracy, retracting the official description of the protests as riots, amnesty for arrested protesters and an inquiry into alleged police brutality.
“The voice of the public is loud and clear: Five demands, not one less,” said Roy Kwong Chun-Yu, who won in the Pek Long constituency. If Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam “doesn’t listen to our voice,” he said, “she must still not be awake.”
Even in pro-Beijing strongholds such as North Point, fresh-faced candidates running on an explicitly pro-democracy platform unseated longtime incumbents. Among them was 23-year-old Karrine Fu, who beat 45-year-old Hung Lin-Cham, the DAB incumbent who had won the past three elections.
The DAB threw its weight behind the unpopular extradition bill. Its vice chairman, Holden Chow, lost his seat to a 25-year-old pro-democracy activist in one of several upsets for the party.
Lo Kin-Hei, vice chairman of the Democratic Party, called the result a “clear win” for the pro-
democracy camp. “Really wonder what Carrie Lam & [Chinese President] Xi Jinping thought when they see the record-breaking turnout & result today,” he tweeted.
Voters waited in hours-long lines that snaked around city blocks, an unusual experience for Hong Kong residents. Almost every neighborhood has seen violent unrest at some point over the nearly six-month-long protest movement, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets and protesters countering with molotov cocktails and projectiles.
“Everyone just asks what side you are on, pro-democracy or pro-establishment,” said Sabrina Koo, a pro-democracy candidate. “Only after that do they ask us what our plans are for the community and about local issues.”
Voters, relishing the opportunity to express their democratic rights, were unperturbed by the lines. Gloria Lai, 40, took her two children to a polling station close to a major protest flash point in Wan Chai: a road that in the past months has seen tear gas, water cannons and massive fires. They waited an hour to vote.
“I want my children to always remember that it is their right to vote, it is their right to voice out their opinion, and this is something to be treasured,” she said. “We don’t have the right to vote for our chief executive, but we have this.”
The contest for district council is the only fully democratic election in Hong Kong. The city’s leader is not directly elected. Only half of the Legislative Council, the lawmaking body, is chosen by the people.
Another voter in Wan Chai, which is represented by pro-Beijing politicians, said he flew back to Hong Kong from Britain, where he has lived for the past decade, to cast his ballot. The 39-year-old man, who asked to be identified only by his last name, Chan, said he has never seen such lines in an election, including in Britain.
“This is the best way to express our views. It is the right way,” he said. “We don’t want violence on the streets, but if we don’t have a way to express our political views in any other way, that will happen.”
Francis Lee, who researches public opinion and the media at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the high turnout, while “expected because of the heated political and social atmosphere” of recent months, was still impressive for Hong Kong.
“A combination of police tactics and the [subway and rail network’s] tendency to close numerous stations during protest events has made it extremely difficult to hold any large-scale peaceful protests,” he said. “Many moderate supporters of the movement were frustrated by the lack of opportunities to express themselves,” he said, and saw the election as a way to reenter the fold.
The well-funded establishment camp was hoping for support from a “silent majority” that has grown uncomfortable with protest violence in Hong Kong.
Some voters expressed a desire for a return of peace to the city streets and said they were voting for experienced candidates.
“Nothing is more important than bettering the lives of ordinary people,” said a 74-year-old pro-Beijing supporter who gave his last name as Chow. “The responsibility of our youth is to study hard, not to make society a mess.”
Others said the protest movement had changed their views. Two voters in Sai Wan Ho, where a young protester was shot at close range this month, said they were deeply influenced by what they had seen.
“I couldn’t sleep well last night, I’ve been anticipating this election for so long,” said a 52-year-old man who gave his last name as Wong. “I really hope these elections can change the situation and change the political development of Hong Kong.”
The election was overwhelmingly peaceful and orderly, marking a rare weekend without violence or police action. Riot officers in green fatigues, some wearing masks, were seen at some polling stations, but the atmosphere was generally calm.
Otherwise, it felt like a typical weekend in the city before the protests began in June: Families out shopping and eating and people running errands. The weeks leading up to the vote saw the biggest escalation in violence since the protests began, with hundreds of demonstrators arrested after police seized a university campus that had become a fortified base for the movement.
Two protesters still holed up in Hong Kong Polytechnic University held a news conference urging people to vote.
Hundreds of candidates chose to run in response to the events of the past months. They included Cathy Yau, a police officer who left the force over concerns about abuse of authority and ran on a pro-democracy platform; Jimmy Sham, a leader of the Civil Human Rights Front, the group behind the largest peaceful rallies in the movement; and Tommy Cheung, who decided to contest elections in Yuen Long after mobs attacked protesters at a subway station there.
Sham appeared at his constituency in Sha Tin, walking with the help of cane, a reminder of the political violence against candidates ahead of the vote. Sham was attacked in October by a group of men wielding hammers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/record-turnout-in-hong-kong-election-seen-as-a-referendum-on-the-pro-democracy-protest-movement/2019/11/24/31804b00-0df5-11ea-8054-289aef6e38a3_story.html?fbclid=IwAR1KXMCENrVUH-mlDZtjE9tsSWToaL_1MpdjvHRmX55AIWoYFzuG23qMkkg
[BBC], !即時 Instant News, Hong Kong elections: Pro-democracy groups makes big gains
Hong Kong's opposition pro-democracy movement has made unprecedented gains in the Chinese territory's district council elections, early results show.
According to the figures, pro-democracy candidates have won 278 seats so far, and pro-Beijing candidates 42.
Despite fears the vote could be disrupted or cancelled over the unrest, it went ahead peacefully.
The election was seen as a test of support for the government after months of unrest, protests and clashes.
The government and Beijing had been hoping the election would bring a show of support from the so-called "silent majority", but that did not materialise. Instead some significant pro-Beijing candidates lost council seats.
One controversial pro-Beijing lawmaker, who lost his seat, Junius Ho, said "heaven and earth have been turned upside down".
Protests explained in 100 and 500 words
How is Hong Kong run and how much control does China have?
The twists and turns in Hong Kong so far
Hong Kong's district councillors have little political power and mainly deal with local issues such as bus routes and rubbish collection, so the district elections don't normally generate such interest.
But these polls were the first time people could express at the ballot box their opinion on embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam's handling of the crisis, which was sparked by a now withdrawn extradition law.
A record 4.1 million people had registered to vote - more than half the population.
And more than 2.9m people cast votes for the 452 seats available, a turnout of more than 71%, against 47% in 2015.
The weekend was the first in months without any clashes or violence between protesters and police.
"Facing the extremely challenging situation, I'm pleased to say... we have a relatively calm and peaceful environment for [the] election today," Chief Executive Carrie Lam said after voting.
What's the latest?
In one of the biggest losses for the pro-Beijing camp, lawmaker Junius Ho - one of Hong Kong's most controversial politicians - suffered a shock defeat.
He was stabbed earlier this month by a man pretending to be a supporter. The lawmaker has openly voiced his support for Hong Kong's police force on multiple occasions. He was in July filmed shaking hands with a group of men - suspected of being triad gangsters - who later assaulted pro-democracy protesters.
Jimmy Sham, a political activist who has recently risen to prominence as the leader of the Civil Human Rights Front - a campaign group responsible for organising some of the mass protest marches - won a seat after running for the first time.
Mr Sham has also been attacked twice, once apparently with hammers. Photographs at the time showed him lying on the street covered in blood.
Standing on crutches, Mr Sham told Reuters news agency on Sunday that the election was "special because it is a formal confrontation between pro-establishment and pro-democracy parties".
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running in the elections, a move he referred to as "political screening", but the pro-democracy candidate who replaced him is said to have won.
In a tweet, Mr Wong said the "historic" results showed that public opinion had not turned against the pro-democracy movement.
Reflecting on her reported defeat, pro-Beijing lawmaker Alice Mak suggested Ms Lam's administration was partly to blame.
"In the election campaign, pro-government candidates have been unfairly treated. This is a very important reason," she said.
Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the city's largest pro-Beijing party, was among the few establishment candidates to secure her seat.
"I think [Lee] is the only one who can survive the de facto referendum," said Leung Kwok-hung, her pro-democracy opponent in the poll.
'A wipeout beyond imagination'
Stephen McDonell, BBC China correspondent, in Hong Kong
Outside the Yau Ma Tei North polling station, local residents lined up to gain entry so they could watch the vote count. The doors opened and they poured into the public viewing area.
Six months into an ongoing political crisis, people have lost faith in government institutions. They wanted to make sure that this process was fair and transparent.
As they waited for the total in their own district council to be tallied, they could see the numbers coming in from elsewhere on their mobile phones.
By their facial expressions it was clear they couldn't believe what was unfolding, and people cheered in astonishment as one surprising result came in after another.
Nobody imagined such a comprehensive wipeout, and Carrie Lam's administration will no doubt come under renewed pressure to listen to the demands of protestors following such an overwhelming defeat for her and her allies.
More than 1,000 candidates ran for 452 district council seats which, for the first time, were all contested. A further 27 district seats are allocated to representatives of rural districts.
Pro-Beijing parties held the majority of these seats ahead of the election.
Under Hong Kong's electoral system, 117 of the district councillors will also sit on the 1,200-member committee that votes for the chief executive.
So a pro-democracy district win could translate eventually to a bigger share, and say, in who becomes the city's next leader.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50531408?fbclid=IwAR2tOViqlyTL-4Gs9KH1jfd68IH7w-G3Rl3GAABnYtQ8xSGyLKN_0Kp2QZM
According to the figures, pro-democracy candidates have won 278 seats so far, and pro-Beijing candidates 42.
Despite fears the vote could be disrupted or cancelled over the unrest, it went ahead peacefully.
The election was seen as a test of support for the government after months of unrest, protests and clashes.
The government and Beijing had been hoping the election would bring a show of support from the so-called "silent majority", but that did not materialise. Instead some significant pro-Beijing candidates lost council seats.
One controversial pro-Beijing lawmaker, who lost his seat, Junius Ho, said "heaven and earth have been turned upside down".
Protests explained in 100 and 500 words
How is Hong Kong run and how much control does China have?
The twists and turns in Hong Kong so far
Hong Kong's district councillors have little political power and mainly deal with local issues such as bus routes and rubbish collection, so the district elections don't normally generate such interest.
But these polls were the first time people could express at the ballot box their opinion on embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam's handling of the crisis, which was sparked by a now withdrawn extradition law.
A record 4.1 million people had registered to vote - more than half the population.
And more than 2.9m people cast votes for the 452 seats available, a turnout of more than 71%, against 47% in 2015.
The weekend was the first in months without any clashes or violence between protesters and police.
"Facing the extremely challenging situation, I'm pleased to say... we have a relatively calm and peaceful environment for [the] election today," Chief Executive Carrie Lam said after voting.
What's the latest?
In one of the biggest losses for the pro-Beijing camp, lawmaker Junius Ho - one of Hong Kong's most controversial politicians - suffered a shock defeat.
He was stabbed earlier this month by a man pretending to be a supporter. The lawmaker has openly voiced his support for Hong Kong's police force on multiple occasions. He was in July filmed shaking hands with a group of men - suspected of being triad gangsters - who later assaulted pro-democracy protesters.
Jimmy Sham, a political activist who has recently risen to prominence as the leader of the Civil Human Rights Front - a campaign group responsible for organising some of the mass protest marches - won a seat after running for the first time.
Mr Sham has also been attacked twice, once apparently with hammers. Photographs at the time showed him lying on the street covered in blood.
Standing on crutches, Mr Sham told Reuters news agency on Sunday that the election was "special because it is a formal confrontation between pro-establishment and pro-democracy parties".
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running in the elections, a move he referred to as "political screening", but the pro-democracy candidate who replaced him is said to have won.
In a tweet, Mr Wong said the "historic" results showed that public opinion had not turned against the pro-democracy movement.
Reflecting on her reported defeat, pro-Beijing lawmaker Alice Mak suggested Ms Lam's administration was partly to blame.
"In the election campaign, pro-government candidates have been unfairly treated. This is a very important reason," she said.
Starry Lee Wai-king, chairwoman of the city's largest pro-Beijing party, was among the few establishment candidates to secure her seat.
"I think [Lee] is the only one who can survive the de facto referendum," said Leung Kwok-hung, her pro-democracy opponent in the poll.
'A wipeout beyond imagination'
Stephen McDonell, BBC China correspondent, in Hong Kong
Outside the Yau Ma Tei North polling station, local residents lined up to gain entry so they could watch the vote count. The doors opened and they poured into the public viewing area.
Six months into an ongoing political crisis, people have lost faith in government institutions. They wanted to make sure that this process was fair and transparent.
As they waited for the total in their own district council to be tallied, they could see the numbers coming in from elsewhere on their mobile phones.
By their facial expressions it was clear they couldn't believe what was unfolding, and people cheered in astonishment as one surprising result came in after another.
Nobody imagined such a comprehensive wipeout, and Carrie Lam's administration will no doubt come under renewed pressure to listen to the demands of protestors following such an overwhelming defeat for her and her allies.
More than 1,000 candidates ran for 452 district council seats which, for the first time, were all contested. A further 27 district seats are allocated to representatives of rural districts.
Pro-Beijing parties held the majority of these seats ahead of the election.
Under Hong Kong's electoral system, 117 of the district councillors will also sit on the 1,200-member committee that votes for the chief executive.
So a pro-democracy district win could translate eventually to a bigger share, and say, in who becomes the city's next leader.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-50531408?fbclid=IwAR2tOViqlyTL-4Gs9KH1jfd68IH7w-G3Rl3GAABnYtQ8xSGyLKN_0Kp2QZM
[Aljazeera], !即時 Instant News, , Hong Kong democrats score historic victory amid ongoing protests
Local elections were seen as major test for the pro-Beijing government after nearly half a year of demonstrations.
Hong Kong, China - Hong Kong's pro-democratic parties swept the board in highly anticipated local elections seen as a barometer of public opinion after nearly six months of increasingly violent protests that have polarised the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Total turnout exceeded 2.94 million voters, a rate of 71 percent, surpassing a record from the previous legislative council election in 2016 of about 1.47 million.
As of 12pm (04:00 GMT), pro-democracy candidates had won a clear majority with 390 seats of the 452 district council seats, according to local broadcaster RTHK.
In the wake of the landslide win, Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam said she would "listen humbly" to voters.
Before daybreak on Sunday, long queues began to snake around the city's neighbourhoods as a mix of young and old voters waited for the polls - the first since political unrest erupted in June - to open.
In the working-class neighbourhood of Yau Ma Tei, a regular scene of clashes between police and demonstrators, no one waiting in line wore black, surgical masks or chanted slogans - all hallmarks of the pro-democracy protest movement.
The queue was quiet and orderly as voters ate breakfast in line and scrolled through their phones. Small squads of riot police were seen mingling around.
"I would like to say 'no' to the government, to what they have done these past few months," said Patrick Yeung, a 33-year-old IT worker who came early to vote, anticipating long lines.
"It makes me very angry ... [Chief Executive] Carrie Lam just doesn't listen to Hong Kong. We've come out so many times and they don't listen and make this situation worse."
'De facto referendum'
The district council historically deals with local livelihood issues, such as traffic and hygiene. But the protests have dramatically elevated their significance, at least symbolically.
For nearly half a year, anger and frustration have gripped Hong Kong as the city's Beijing-backed government refuses to concede to protesters' demands - save for the retraction of the hated extradition bill that sparked the unrest.
Government intransigence has galvanised the public, and voters are capitalising on the democratic opportunity to reiterate their demands, which include universal suffrage to choose Hong Kong's leaders, an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality and amnesty for all those arrested in connection with the protests.
A record 4.1 million people, including 400,000 new voters, signed up to cast ballots in the poll that will see all 452 seats across Hong Kong's 18 districts contested.
"This election is totally a de facto referendum for the protests," said Samson Yuen, an assistant professor at Lingnan University.
"Clearly, this one is more about political stance over the protests," Yuen said.
For the past few weeks, doubts loomed over whether the elections would even take place. Several candidates on both sides were attacked and multiple pro-democracy candidates were arrested, while prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running.
Just a neighbourhood over from Yau Ma Tei, an estimated couple of dozen protesters remain trapped at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which police have surrounded following one of the movement's fiercest clashes on campus. The city was paralysed for days as violence reached new escalations on both sides.
Patrick Nip, the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, said the violence "reduced the chance of holding the elections", while the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, the People's Daily, said: "Only by supporting the police force decisively putting down the riots can [Hong Kong] return to peace and hold fair elections, to help Hong Kong start again."
Hong Kong's Electoral Affairs Commission had called on the public to "stop all threats and violence to support the holding of elections in a peaceful and orderly manner".
For her part, Lam, when asked whether elections would be postponed, said the government "hopes that the elections can continue as planned".
Some pro-establishment voters, too, hoped to use their vote as a call to restore order.
"He supports constructive ideas to build up Hong Kong. We support people who do not disrupt Hong Kong," said Gary Wu, 40, who works in logistics, as he handed out fliers for a pro-establishment candidate named Horace Cheung in the Kennedy Town area.
"The priority should be people living here, a stable environment and economy."
'We are not going to give up our rights'
Given all the uncertainty surrounding the elections, Ryan Chen flew home on Saturday from Singapore, where he who works for a multinational company, just to vote in the election. Aged 35, this was his first time voting in the district council elections.
"It's important ... It's a way to really express your own opinions, one of the few ways you can do it in an orderly fashion," he said. "We should cherish the ability to express it ... It shows [the government] our opinions and gathers us together as Hongkongers," Chen added.
"But whether the government cares, honestly they don't."
The days running up to polls have been some of the most peaceful in months. To ensure the elections were not cancelled, protesters called on the public to exercise restraint. And in a bid to rally public support, protesters rebuilt the so-called Lennon Walls - some of which had been torn down by pro-establishment activists - and plastered public spaces with promotional materials, canvassing on street corners and disseminating reminders online.
Among the many new faces running for district council is Jason Chan, 22, a recent graduate now running in Fortress Hill for the pro-democracy camp.
Chan said this election was a "gesture to show the government that we are not going to give up our rights".
He added: "It becomes a kind of safer way to participate in politics compared to protesting on the streets, running inside established institutions."
One of the clarion calls for the district council election is to have more of a say in the selection of the city's leader. At present, the chief executive is chosen by a 1,200-person electoral committee, many of whom are Beijing loyalists. While a sizeable chunk goes to the district councillors, in the end, the elections are more symbolic than effective.
"There's no way to tip the balance, but that's not the point," said Steve Tsang, director of SOAS China Institute, University of London. "What Hong Kong people are really asking for is to 'listen to our voices, hear us, and act on what we say'."
Yuen, of Lingnan University, echoed that point. "Even if the pro-democracy camp are able to capture a lot of seats, it won't have very substantial meaning in terms of everyday politics ... It doesn't have a substantial effect on the pro-democracy movement, more of moral support for the current protests."
But even that is reason enough to draw youngsters to the polls.
"These few months have really shown a new picture for what Hong Kong people can do," said Iverson Ha, 23, a university student studying politics.
"We felt so powerless before June. Now many people come out, many people suffer. I don't think the government will respond to anything so it depends on civil society.
"Can we also fight in those different fields? If we can, I think Hong Kong has a future."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/months-protests-hong-kong-heads-key-polls-191124051609941.html?fbclid=IwAR0gAzeFdPcIF8BtbIGdrEO4tsC5SsP6q9eEHOTzPxEUW4NfgVorhuIeat0
Hong Kong, China - Hong Kong's pro-democratic parties swept the board in highly anticipated local elections seen as a barometer of public opinion after nearly six months of increasingly violent protests that have polarised the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
Total turnout exceeded 2.94 million voters, a rate of 71 percent, surpassing a record from the previous legislative council election in 2016 of about 1.47 million.
As of 12pm (04:00 GMT), pro-democracy candidates had won a clear majority with 390 seats of the 452 district council seats, according to local broadcaster RTHK.
In the wake of the landslide win, Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam said she would "listen humbly" to voters.
Before daybreak on Sunday, long queues began to snake around the city's neighbourhoods as a mix of young and old voters waited for the polls - the first since political unrest erupted in June - to open.
In the working-class neighbourhood of Yau Ma Tei, a regular scene of clashes between police and demonstrators, no one waiting in line wore black, surgical masks or chanted slogans - all hallmarks of the pro-democracy protest movement.
The queue was quiet and orderly as voters ate breakfast in line and scrolled through their phones. Small squads of riot police were seen mingling around.
"I would like to say 'no' to the government, to what they have done these past few months," said Patrick Yeung, a 33-year-old IT worker who came early to vote, anticipating long lines.
"It makes me very angry ... [Chief Executive] Carrie Lam just doesn't listen to Hong Kong. We've come out so many times and they don't listen and make this situation worse."
'De facto referendum'
The district council historically deals with local livelihood issues, such as traffic and hygiene. But the protests have dramatically elevated their significance, at least symbolically.
For nearly half a year, anger and frustration have gripped Hong Kong as the city's Beijing-backed government refuses to concede to protesters' demands - save for the retraction of the hated extradition bill that sparked the unrest.
Government intransigence has galvanised the public, and voters are capitalising on the democratic opportunity to reiterate their demands, which include universal suffrage to choose Hong Kong's leaders, an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality and amnesty for all those arrested in connection with the protests.
A record 4.1 million people, including 400,000 new voters, signed up to cast ballots in the poll that will see all 452 seats across Hong Kong's 18 districts contested.
"This election is totally a de facto referendum for the protests," said Samson Yuen, an assistant professor at Lingnan University.
"Clearly, this one is more about political stance over the protests," Yuen said.
For the past few weeks, doubts loomed over whether the elections would even take place. Several candidates on both sides were attacked and multiple pro-democracy candidates were arrested, while prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong was barred from running.
Just a neighbourhood over from Yau Ma Tei, an estimated couple of dozen protesters remain trapped at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which police have surrounded following one of the movement's fiercest clashes on campus. The city was paralysed for days as violence reached new escalations on both sides.
Patrick Nip, the secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, said the violence "reduced the chance of holding the elections", while the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, the People's Daily, said: "Only by supporting the police force decisively putting down the riots can [Hong Kong] return to peace and hold fair elections, to help Hong Kong start again."
Hong Kong's Electoral Affairs Commission had called on the public to "stop all threats and violence to support the holding of elections in a peaceful and orderly manner".
For her part, Lam, when asked whether elections would be postponed, said the government "hopes that the elections can continue as planned".
Some pro-establishment voters, too, hoped to use their vote as a call to restore order.
"He supports constructive ideas to build up Hong Kong. We support people who do not disrupt Hong Kong," said Gary Wu, 40, who works in logistics, as he handed out fliers for a pro-establishment candidate named Horace Cheung in the Kennedy Town area.
"The priority should be people living here, a stable environment and economy."
'We are not going to give up our rights'
Given all the uncertainty surrounding the elections, Ryan Chen flew home on Saturday from Singapore, where he who works for a multinational company, just to vote in the election. Aged 35, this was his first time voting in the district council elections.
"It's important ... It's a way to really express your own opinions, one of the few ways you can do it in an orderly fashion," he said. "We should cherish the ability to express it ... It shows [the government] our opinions and gathers us together as Hongkongers," Chen added.
"But whether the government cares, honestly they don't."
The days running up to polls have been some of the most peaceful in months. To ensure the elections were not cancelled, protesters called on the public to exercise restraint. And in a bid to rally public support, protesters rebuilt the so-called Lennon Walls - some of which had been torn down by pro-establishment activists - and plastered public spaces with promotional materials, canvassing on street corners and disseminating reminders online.
Among the many new faces running for district council is Jason Chan, 22, a recent graduate now running in Fortress Hill for the pro-democracy camp.
Chan said this election was a "gesture to show the government that we are not going to give up our rights".
He added: "It becomes a kind of safer way to participate in politics compared to protesting on the streets, running inside established institutions."
One of the clarion calls for the district council election is to have more of a say in the selection of the city's leader. At present, the chief executive is chosen by a 1,200-person electoral committee, many of whom are Beijing loyalists. While a sizeable chunk goes to the district councillors, in the end, the elections are more symbolic than effective.
"There's no way to tip the balance, but that's not the point," said Steve Tsang, director of SOAS China Institute, University of London. "What Hong Kong people are really asking for is to 'listen to our voices, hear us, and act on what we say'."
Yuen, of Lingnan University, echoed that point. "Even if the pro-democracy camp are able to capture a lot of seats, it won't have very substantial meaning in terms of everyday politics ... It doesn't have a substantial effect on the pro-democracy movement, more of moral support for the current protests."
But even that is reason enough to draw youngsters to the polls.
"These few months have really shown a new picture for what Hong Kong people can do," said Iverson Ha, 23, a university student studying politics.
"We felt so powerless before June. Now many people come out, many people suffer. I don't think the government will respond to anything so it depends on civil society.
"Can we also fight in those different fields? If we can, I think Hong Kong has a future."
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/months-protests-hong-kong-heads-key-polls-191124051609941.html?fbclid=IwAR0gAzeFdPcIF8BtbIGdrEO4tsC5SsP6q9eEHOTzPxEUW4NfgVorhuIeat0
[Financial Times], !即時 Instant News, Pro-democracy candidates storm to landslide victory in Hong Kong
Pro-democracy candidates have routed their pro-Beijing opponents to win more than half of the seats in Hong Kong’s local council elections and provide a big boost to anti-government protests that have rocked the Asian financial hub.
With votes still being counted, pro-democracy candidates had secured 278 of the 452 district council seats. Pro-establishment forces, which support Beijing, had taken 42 seats while independents, who are not endorsed by either camp, had won 24 seats.
The democratic camp gained control of at least 12 of the 18 district councils. Four years ago, pro-democracy candidates won only 100 seats.
District council elections are historically muted affairs. Councillors wield little political power and the campaign is typically focused on humdrum local issues such as noise pollution.
But on Sunday, more than 2.9m people voted in the district council elections, a record turnout of 71.2 per cent across all territory-wide elections.
For the first time all seats were contested and more than 4m people were registered to vote, an all-time high. The groundswell of interest in the elections came as the city’s protest movement showed no sign of abating, with a stand-off between protesters and police at Polytechnic University entering its second week.
“We can’t be on the front lines but I hope to try to help our young people by casting a vote,” said Raymond Ng, a surveyor in his early 40s who brought his 65-year-old mother to vote for the first time.
“I hope the young people will be less impulsive — if we win at least they will feel better.”
One of the protesters’ demands is for genuine, universal suffrage that they insisted was guaranteed by Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law.
Hong Kong’s district council elections are the most democratic and representative elections in the territory. The business community has an outsized vote in determining the composition of the city’s more powerful Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s de facto parliament, while the chief executive is decided by 1,200 mostly pro-Beijing loyalists.
The local election results will determine 117 of the 1,200 electors who choose the city’s chief executive.
Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.
https://www.ft.com/content/8a29a112-0e7b-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a?sharetype=blocked
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, has the lowest approval ratings of any chief executive in Hong Kong’s history, but no one from her administration has resigned over the worsening political unrest. Dissatisfaction with the government has risen to more than 80 per cent in the latest opinion polls.
“This is the first time I actually read through all the campaign messages of the candidates,” said Helen, 72, who declined to give her last name. “I think Hong Kong now needs representatives who can express the opinions of the general public and to make reasonable demands to the government.”
https://www.ft.com/content/8a29a112-0e7b-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a?sharetype=blocked
With votes still being counted, pro-democracy candidates had secured 278 of the 452 district council seats. Pro-establishment forces, which support Beijing, had taken 42 seats while independents, who are not endorsed by either camp, had won 24 seats.
The democratic camp gained control of at least 12 of the 18 district councils. Four years ago, pro-democracy candidates won only 100 seats.
District council elections are historically muted affairs. Councillors wield little political power and the campaign is typically focused on humdrum local issues such as noise pollution.
But on Sunday, more than 2.9m people voted in the district council elections, a record turnout of 71.2 per cent across all territory-wide elections.
For the first time all seats were contested and more than 4m people were registered to vote, an all-time high. The groundswell of interest in the elections came as the city’s protest movement showed no sign of abating, with a stand-off between protesters and police at Polytechnic University entering its second week.
“We can’t be on the front lines but I hope to try to help our young people by casting a vote,” said Raymond Ng, a surveyor in his early 40s who brought his 65-year-old mother to vote for the first time.
“I hope the young people will be less impulsive — if we win at least they will feel better.”
One of the protesters’ demands is for genuine, universal suffrage that they insisted was guaranteed by Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law.
Hong Kong’s district council elections are the most democratic and representative elections in the territory. The business community has an outsized vote in determining the composition of the city’s more powerful Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s de facto parliament, while the chief executive is decided by 1,200 mostly pro-Beijing loyalists.
The local election results will determine 117 of the 1,200 electors who choose the city’s chief executive.
Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.
https://www.ft.com/content/8a29a112-0e7b-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a?sharetype=blocked
Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, has the lowest approval ratings of any chief executive in Hong Kong’s history, but no one from her administration has resigned over the worsening political unrest. Dissatisfaction with the government has risen to more than 80 per cent in the latest opinion polls.
“This is the first time I actually read through all the campaign messages of the candidates,” said Helen, 72, who declined to give her last name. “I think Hong Kong now needs representatives who can express the opinions of the general public and to make reasonable demands to the government.”
https://www.ft.com/content/8a29a112-0e7b-11ea-a7e6-62bf4f9e548a?sharetype=blocked
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