Meet 5 of Hong Kong’s Newest Politicians – The New York Times

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s district council election saw the pro-establishment camp have one of its biggest defeats since the territory returned to Chinese control 22 years ago, as dozens of seasoned politicians were replaced with a crop of newcomers, many of whom were inspired to run by the antigovernment protests.

The district councils are local advisory bodies that do not hold any lawmaking power, but the lopsided results were seen as a strong public endorsement of the continuing protest movement. Several newly elected district council members seized on the demands of the demonstrators as part of their campaign platforms, and seem eager to push their roles beyond the usual remit of neighborhood noise complaints and sanitation problems.

Here’s a look at five of the most interesting new district councilors and what they have to say:

Mr. Siu, 40, embraced the image of a protester in his campaign. A campaign photo features him in a yellow hard hat, goggles and a gas mask with his fingers extended to represent the demands of the protest movement, including calling for an investigation into use of force by the police, amnesty for arrested protesters and expanded democracy.

Mr. Siu said he ran for the sake of his 2-year-old daughter, but had not expected to win. “I am no super man, not a social worker, not someone who speaks out for the people,” he wrote on Facebook. “But I hope that others can stand up for themselves, and I want to create a platform to give others the platform to speak up.”

Ms. Chau, 23, who works as a relationship manager at a bank in North Point, was arrested in August while live-streaming a protest, but she was never charged. She subsequently received harassing phone calls and was shoved and punched in the head while campaigning in October, one of several candidates on both sides who was assaulted during the campaign.

She condemned the authorities for failing to respond adequately to the violence surrounding the campaign. “We are innocent people who’ve been attacked,” she said.

Ms. Chau defeated Hui Ching On, 53, a financial consultant who had held the seat since 1999. HK01, a Hong Kong news outlet, reported that during the previous four years, Mr. Hui had only spoken for 80 seconds during district council meetings.

Mr. Sham, 32, was another candidate who was assaulted during the campaign. He was attacked by a group of men with hammers last month and continues to use crutches to walk.

As a leader of the Civil Human Rights Front, an umbrella group of pro-democracy organizations, Mr. Sham helped organize several large, peaceful marches this summer. He was attacked previously, in August, on a day when the police announced they were banning plans for another march.

Ray Chan, a pro-democracy lawmaker who is gay, celebrated the victory of Mr. Sham, who is also gay, on a day that several establishment politicians who had opposed same-sex marriage and made homophobic comments had lost their district council races.

Mr. Sham said that his own victory in the district race reflected a broader yearning for civic freedoms. “We are trying to listen to the demands of the people and to fight for their rights,” he said.

Public criticism of the police and the officers’ use of force have been animating issues of the protest movement. Few embodied the issue more than Ms. Yau, 36, who formerly served as a police officer but quit this year after more than a decade on the force.

“This year, I have decided to take off my uniform and gear, and stand together with Hong Kongers,” she said in announcing her campaign.

Ms. Yau defeated Yolanda Ng, who had held the seat since 2007 and ran uncontested four years ago.

“The Hong Kong police force has become a political tool,” Ms. Yau wrote last week, adding that “police brutality and indiscriminate arrests have clearly illustrated the inseparable relationship between politics and society.”

With his handwritten candidate introduction, Mr. Chan, a 27-year-old student, showed he was a political novice with no powerful backing. But despite his inexperience, he defeated Chris Ip, 39, a prominent figure in the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the largest pro-Beijing party.

Mr. Ip, who was the chairman of the Yau Tsim Mong district council, became a target of protesters in July after he blocked debate on the extradition bill that incited the protests this summer.

Reporting was contributed by Tiffany May, Katherine Li and Elaine Yu.