Purge of the Pan-Democrats
[#Thread - purge of the pan-democrats]
1/ In the 2016 legislative election, 29 pro-democracy politicians were elected to #LegCo. Four years on, and after months of #PoliticalPurge and #Lawfare, let us take a look at the current situation these opposition lawmakers are in now.
2/ Two former opposition legislators @nathanlawkc and @tedhuichifung now live in self-imposed exile after the introduction of the #NationalSecurityLaw for fear of political persecution.
3/ Leung Kwok-hung, @nathanlawkc, Shiu Ka-chun have been imprisoned for their respective advocacy works. Tanya Chan only narrowly escaped imprisonment for her role in the #OccupyMovement due to her illness. She was given a sentence of eight months suspended for two years instead.
4/ At least 10 pro-democracy lawmakers including Fernando Cheung, Lam Cheuk-ting, Wu Chi-wai, @ChuHoiDick, @ray_slowbeat, Andrew Wan, Helena Wong, @tedhuichifung, Leung Yiu-chung and Tanya Chan are under investigation for charges ranging from rioting to violating gathering ban.
5/ But the purge started way earlier. Soon after the inauguration ceremony in 2016, six members of #LegCo were disqualified for "failing to properly take their oaths of office". Again in 2020, four more pan-dems were disqualified for being "unpatriotic".
6/ Of the 29 pro-democracy lawmakers elected in 2016, only SIX of them (Charles Peter Mok, Jeremy Tam, @ClaudiaMCMo, James To, Ip Kin-yuen and Joseph Lee) have never been arrested and managed to finish their 4-year tenure.
7/ Correction (thanks @Baakfanmouyan for pointing out my mistake): Jeremy Tam was arrested last year for obstructing a police officer, so only 5/29 emerged unscathed after a 4-year tenure.
8/ Another ex-opposition lawmaker (Sixtus “Baggio” Leung) goes into exile, taking the total to 3. This tells you all you need to know about how things stand for activists in #HongKong.