Why China Is Determined to Choose the Next Dalai Lama
Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, turns 90 this week. This isn't just a milestone birthday, it's an opportunity to define his legacy. Ahead of those celebrations, he's expected to make a long-anticipated announcement about his heir.
China is determined to shape the narrative around this succession, to prevent the erosion of its grip on Tibet, a mountainous region that it annexed in the 1950s. At the time, the Dalai Lama was forced to flee in disguise, dressing in a Chinese uniform and escaping on foot with family members and ministers to India, where they settled as refugees. He established a government-in-exile in the northern city of Dharamshala, which has advocated for greater freedoms for their homeland.
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Hong Kong's last active pro-democracy group says it will disband amid security crackdown
By James Pomfret and Jessie Pang HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong's League of Social Democrats said on Sunday that it would disband amid "immense political pressure" from a five year-long national security crackdown, leaving the China-ruled city with no formal pro-democracy opposition presence. The LSD becomes the third major opposition party to shutter in Hong Kong in the past two years. Co-founded in 2006 by former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung as a radical wing of the pro-democracy camp, the LSD is the last group in Hong Kong to stage small protests this year. Mass public gatherings and marches spearheaded by political and civil society groups had been common in Hong Kong until 2020, but the threat of prosecution has largely shut down organized protests since. China imposed a national security law on the former British colony in 2020, punishing offences like subversion with possible life imprisonment following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. A second set of laws, known as Article 23, was passed in 2024 by the city's pro-Beijing legislature covering crimes such as sedition and treason. Current chair Chan Po-ying said the group had been "left with no choice" and after considering the safety of party members had decided to shutdown. Chan declined to specify what pressures they had faced. "We have endured hardships of internal disputes and the near total imprisonment of our leadership while witnessing the erosion of civil society, the fading of grassroots voices, the omnipresence of red lines and the draconian suppression of dissent," Chan told reporters, while flanked by six other core members including Tsang Kin-shing, Dickson Chau, Raphael Wong, Figo Chan and Jimmy Sham. In February, the Democratic Party, the city's largest and most popular opposition party, announced it would disband. Several senior members told Reuters they had been warned by Beijing that a failure to do so would mean serious consequences including possible arrests. Earlier this month, China's top official on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, stressed national security work must continue as hostile forces were still interfering in the city. "We must clearly see that the anti-China and Hong Kong chaos elements are still ruthless and are renewing various forms of soft resistance," Xia said in a speech in Hong Kong. The League of Social Democrats is one of Hong Kong's smaller pro-democracy groups known for its more aggressive tactics and street protests in its advocacy of universal suffrage and grassroots causes including a universal pension scheme. In a 2016 incident, Leung threw a round object at former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying inside the legislature. Three LSD members were fined on June 12 by a magistrate for setting up a street booth where a blank black cloth was displayed and money was collected in public without official permission. Chan told reporters that the party had no assets to divest and no funds left after several of its bank accounts were shut down in 2023. While never as popular as the more moderate Democratic Party and Civic Party, it gained three seats in a 2008 legislative election - its best showing. The LSD's founder Leung, 69, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in 2021 in the landmark '47 Democrats' case. He is currently serving a sentence of six years and nine months in prison. Another member, Jimmy Sham, was also jailed in the same case and released in May. The security laws have been criticised as a tool of repression by the U.S. and Britain, but China says they have restored stability with 332 people so far arrested under these laws. "I hope that the people of Hong Kong will continue to pay attention to the vulnerable, and they will continue to speak out for injustice," Figo Chan said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hong Kong opposition party disbands citing 'immense' pressure
One of Hong Kong's last remaining opposition parties has officially disbanded, its leader announced Sunday, citing "immense political pressure" as Beijing's years-long crackdown on dissent transforms the semi-autonomous Chinese city. The League of Social Democrats (LSD), founded in 2006, championed democratisation and grassroots issues in Hong Kong's legislature and on the streets. Its lawmakers were known for their colourful heckling and symbolic protests in legislative sessions, which included lobbing bananas and fish sandwiches. It is the latest opposition party to cease operating after Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020 to end democracy protests that had brought the financial hub to a standstill. "In the face of immense political pressure and after careful deliberation -- particularly with regard to the consequences for our members and comrades -- we have made the difficult decision to disband," LSD said in a statement. Party chair Chan Po-ying said the decision had been unanimous as the group had "no other choice". Asked if pressure had come from Beijing's middlemen, Chan declined to elaborate. - Democratic dreams dashed - At the height of its popularity in 2008, LSD held just three seats, but it was responsible for helping mainstream a more radical pro-democracy agenda. After the imposition of the national security law, the city's political opposition dwindled, with most democracy campaigners jailed or overseas. The Civic Party closed in 2023 and in February, the Democratic Party began winding down. Regina Ip, convenor of the Hong Kong government's cabinet, told AFP last week that it was a "good thing" that these opposition parties were disbanding. "All these parties have done great damage to Hong Kong and to the proper functioning of (the Legislative Council)," she said. Authorities have since overhauled the electoral system to ensure only Beijing loyalists can hold office. Chan said she had no "false hope" of liberalisation. "I don't think Hong Kong will go forward to the democratic system in the near future," she said. According to the party, its bank accounts were closed in 2023, adding to operational difficulties. Six party members have been jailed over the past five years, including Chan's husband and one of LSD's founding members, "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung. He remains behind bars after being found guilty of subversion last year in Hong Kong's largest national security trial. - 'Domino effect' - Another LSD member jailed in the same case, Jimmy Sham, was released from prison last month. At the press conference, he described the group as Hong Kong's first political party to adopt LGBTQ equality as part of its core platform. "I sincerely hope that in the future, there will still be voices in society that speak out for the marginalised," Sham added. In recent years, LSD had limited its public activities to a Sunday street booth in a shopping district where a handful of activists handed out flyers while filmed by police. Vice-chairperson Dickson Chau recalled that some passersby would make small signs of support, such as offering him a friendly nod or a beverage. But operating in the current political environment has taken a personal toll. "These four years, I constantly worry about someone (knocking on) my door to arrest me or do a house search... and when I just walk around the streets, I need to worry, is it a sensitive date?" Chan warned of a "domino effect", saying that her group would not be the last to fold. She urged the public "on the one hand to survive, and on the other hand to try to exercise our rights as citizens". hol/lb
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The last Hong Kong pro-democracy party that held street protests disbands
Hong Kong pro-democracy political party League of Social Democrats announced on Sunday it had disbanded due to immense political pressure, the latest casualty in a years-long crackdown that has already quieted much of the city's once-vocal opposition. Following massive anti-government protests in 2019, many leading activists were prosecuted or jailed under a 2020 national security law imposed by Beijing. Dozens of civil society groups dissolved. Media outlets critical of the government shuttered. The League of Social Democrats was the only pro-democracy party that still staged small street protests from time to time and held street booth activities to carry on its advocacy despite the risks. Its chairperson, Chan Po-ying, said the disbandment decision was made after careful deliberation, especially taking into account the consequences to its members and comrades. Chan refused to elaborate on the pressure but said she was proud to say that the party had still contributed to the city's pro-democracy movement in these few years. 'We have stayed true to our original aspirations and haven't let down to the trust placed in us by those who went to prison,' she said. 'While we are now forced to disband and feel an ache in our conscience, we have no other choice,' she said. Hong Kong, a former British colony, will mark the 28th anniversary of returning to Chinese rule on July 1. The city used to hold annual pro-democracy protests that day and other various demonstrations demanding better policies. But those were ceased after most organizing groups were disbanded and the leading activists were jailed. Critics say the drastic political changes under the security law reflect that the freedoms Beijing promised to keep intact in 1997 are shrinking. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist the law is necessary for the city's stability. A Chinese official overseeing Hong Kong affairs in 2023 said protests are not the only way for people to express their views, signaling Beijing's stance toward demonstrations in the city. In April, Hong Kong's biggest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, also voted to give its leadership the mandate to move toward a potential disbandment. Party veterans told The Associated Press that some members were warned of consequences if the party didn't shut down. A final vote is expected at a later date. Chan said she believed the 'one country, two systems' principle, which Beijing uses to govern Hong Kong, has already ended, pointing to the Chinese government's imposition of the security law and introducing the idea of 'soft resistance,' a term officials use to refer to underlying security risks. 'One country, two systems has already (become) one country, one system,' she said. Founded in 2006, the League of Social Democrats was a left-wing political party that opposed what it called collusion between government and business, upheld the principle that people have a say and was firmly committed to the interests of underprivileged residents. It was widely known for its more aggressive tactics when fighting for change. Its members have thrown bananas, eggs and luncheon meat at officials or pro-Beijing lawmakers as a protest gesture. Its party platform said the group advocated non-violent resistance but would not avoid physical confrontations – a stance that set it apart from older, traditional pro-democracy groups. It once had three lawmakers in office. Its longest-serving lawmaker, Leung Kwok-hung – Chan's husband – was disqualified from the legislature due to his manner of taking his oath in office in 2017. On the streets, the group's activism led to the arrests and jailing of its members from time to time. Last year, Leung and prominent LGBTQ+ activist Jimmy Sham, a former party leader, were sentenced to nearly seven years and more than four years over their roles in an unofficial primary election under the sweeping security law. Sham was freed from prison last month. In recent years, the party has had limited political influence, no longer holding any seats in the legislature or local district councils. Even a bank ceased to provide bank account services to the group. But it continued to stage small protests from time to time, despite sometimes those activities leading to arrests. On June 12, Chan and other members were fined after being found guilty over their street booth activities. Undeterred by their convictions, they kept pressing on and protested against the ruling outside the court. Chan wiped away tears during Sunday's press conference and chanted slogans with other members at the end. She said she doesn't believe that democracy will come in the near future. 'Moving forward is not at all easy,' she said. 'I hope everyone can become like an ember, a flying spark – still carrying light, keeping that light alive, no matter how small it may be.'
