Demosisto

The following were the major missions{{Cite web |date=2020-06-16 |title=About Us - 香港眾志 Demosistō |url=https://www.demosisto.hk/about?lang=en |access-date=2022-06-15 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616083349/https://www.demosisto.hk/about?lang=en |archive-date=16 June 2020 |url-status=dead}} of Demosistō:

• Development of civil society: Demosistō wants to encourage the people of Hong Kong to discuss their political views and the youth to develop political parties and civic movements.
• Equality and justice, trust of people, pluralist: Demosistō believes in the Hong Kong people and their ability to shape Hong Kong into a pluralist city with the values of justice and equality.
• Fight for democratic legislation to inspire civic movements: Ivan Lam, who succeeded Nathan Law in May 2018 as a chairman, said the group will prepare to fight for democratic legislation in Hong Kong; for example, opposing Article 23 in the Basic Law (a controversial bill in Article 23 caused massive protests in 2003) and the proposed Anthem bill regarding the anthem of the People's Republic of China. In the same month, Demosistō changed their legal status from political party to political organisation, when its candidates were banned on election in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.{{cite web |title=Will shift from Hong Kong politics to social activism give Occupy poster boy Joshua Wong's Demosisto Party a new sense of purpose? |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2149422/hong-kongs-demosisto-party-founded-occupy-poster-boy-joshua |last1=Sum |first1=Lok-kei |last2=Chung |first2=Kimmy |date=6 June 2018 |website=South China Morning Post |access-date=10 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710182257/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2149422/hong-kongs-demosisto-party-founded-occupy-poster-boy-joshua |archive-date=10 July 2019 |url-status=live }}

The name "Demosistō" is derived from the Greek "demos" ("δῆμος", meaning "people", from which the English word "democracy" is derived) and Latin "sisto" (meaning "to stand", from which English words such as "insist", "persist" and "resist" are derived). Literally translated as "people to stand" in English, it means "stand for democracy", or "stand for the people".{{cite news|title=Joshua Wong to launch new political party, Demosistō, Sunday|date=7 April 2016|url=http://www.ejinsight.com/20160407-joshua-wong-launch-new-political-party-demosisto-sunday/|work=Ejnisight|access-date=7 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409041540/http://www.ejinsight.com/20160407-joshua-wong-launch-new-political-party-demosisto-sunday/|archive-date=9 April 2016|url-status=live}} The Chinese name means "the will of the people".{{cite news|url=http://www.hk01.com/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/15253/%E9%BB%83%E4%B9%8B%E9%8B%92%E6%96%B0%E6%94%BF%E9%BB%A8%E8%8B%B1%E6%96%87%E5%90%8DDemosist%C5%8D-%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87%E6%98%AF-%E9%87%98%E6%AF%9B%E8%88%8C%E5%9C%96-|title=黃之鋒新政黨英文名Demosistō 中文是「釘毛舌圖」？|date=6 April 2016|work=HK01|access-date=6 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410115158/http://www.hk01.com/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/15253/%E9%BB%83%E4%B9%8B%E9%8B%92%E6%96%B0%E6%94%BF%E9%BB%A8%E8%8B%B1%E6%96%87%E5%90%8DDemosist%C5%8D-%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87%E6%98%AF-%E9%87%98%E6%AF%9B%E8%88%8C%E5%9C%96-|archive-date=10 April 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=新政黨Demosistō係咩意思？ 黃之鋒教埋你點讀|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20160406/54955581|newspaper=Apple Daily|date=6 April 2016|access-date=6 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409034412/http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20160406/54955581|archive-date=9 April 2016|url-status=live}}

The idea of forming Demosistō was inspired by Taiwan's New Power Party which was formed by the Sunflower Movement leaders and fared well in the 2016 Taiwanese legislative election. In February 2016, core figures of the student activist group Scholarism – Joshua Wong, Oscar Lai and Agnes Chow – who played an instrumental role in the 2014 Hong Kong protests, announced their plan of forming a new political party with other Umbrella Movement leaders, including Nathan Law, former secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS), to run in the September Legislative Council election.{{cite news|title=效法時代力量突圍 香港學運領袖擬組黨參政|url=http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/1604552|date=17 February 2016|work=Liberty Times|access-date=6 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322143045/http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/1604552|archive-date=22 March 2016|url-status=live}} Scholarism officially ceased functioning on 20 March 2016 as the group disallowed any party affiliation.{{cite news|title=學民思潮宣布今天起停止運作 145萬捐款將撥予法援基金及新學生組織|date=20 March 2016|work=Stand News}}

The party was officially established on 10 April 2016 with former secretary-general of Hong Kong Federation of Students Nathan Law as chairman, former spokesman of Scholarism Oscar Lai as vice-chairman, former convenor as Joshua Wong as secretary-general and former core member Agnes Chow Ting as deputy secretary. Founding party members included Shu Kei, Dean of Film and Television at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts as party's executive committee member, teacher Ng Mei-lan and Hong Kong Unison's Fermi Wong Wai-fun as member of the Kowloon East team.{{cite news|title=香港眾志成立 羅冠聰、舒琪、黎汶洛出選立會|date=10 April 2016|access-date=10 April 2018|work=Stand News|url=https://www.thestandnews.com/politics/%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E7%9C%BE%E5%BF%97%E6%88%90%E7%AB%8B-%E7%BE%85%E5%86%A0%E8%81%B0-%E8%88%92%E7%90%AA-%E9%BB%8E%E6%B1%B6%E6%B4%9B%E5%87%BA%E9%81%B8%E7%AB%8B%E6%9C%83/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816164019/https://thestandnews.com/politics/%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E7%9C%BE%E5%BF%97%E6%88%90%E7%AB%8B-%E7%BE%85%E5%86%A0%E8%81%B0-%E8%88%92%E7%90%AA-%E9%BB%8E%E6%B1%B6%E6%B4%9B%E5%87%BA%E9%81%B8%E7%AB%8B%E6%9C%83/|archive-date=16 August 2019|url-status=live}}

The Company Registry and police have yet to allow them to register as a company or society, as the registry had asked Demosistō to explain if it adheres to the Basic Law in pushing for Hong Kong's "self-determination" when the then-political party tried to register as a company. It was thus unable to set up its own bank account to raise funds as other parties and organisations did and had to rely instead on individual members' personal accounts.{{cite news|title=Undue caution? Joshua Wong blasts Hong Kong officials over hold-ups in Demosisto party registration and mailings|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1999067/undue-caution-joshua-wong-blasts-hong-kong-officials-over|first=Tony|last=Cheung|date=4 August 2016|access-date=4 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807053242/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1999067/undue-caution-joshua-wong-blasts-hong-kong-officials-over|archive-date=7 August 2016|url-status=live}} Joshua Wong also accused HSBC of exercising "political censorship" in rejecting his request to open a joint savings account to handle the business of his political party.

Demosistō initially planned to field chairman Nathan Law in Hong Kong Island and vice-chairman Oscar Lai in Kowloon East. In July 2016, Oscar Lai decided to drop his candidacy in Kowloon East due to the lack of funding. The mailings of the campaign pamphlets of chairman Nathan Law, who was running in Hong Kong Island, were also delayed as the Hongkong Post had to seek legal advice from the justice department regarding Law's pamphlets mentioning phrases such as "self-determination". Law, 23, eventually became the youngest candidate ever to be elected to the Legislative Council after he received 50,818 votes, the second-highest among all candidates in the constituency.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news.php?id=79224|title=(HK elections) Nathan Law elected as youngest lawmaker; Ricky Wong falls short|date=5 September 2016|work=The Standard|access-date=6 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009215357/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news.php?id=79224|archive-date=9 October 2016|url-status=live}} Demosistō's electoral allies, environmentalist Eddie Chu and university lecturer Lau Siu-lai who ran with a similar platform of "self-determination" also won seats in New Territories West and Kowloon West.

In the Legislative Council, Demosistō and its allies joined the 27-strong pro-democracy caucus. In the 2017 Chief Executive election, the party and other radical democrats backed the League of Social Democrats legislator Leung Kwok-hung to run against the two former government officials Carrie Lam and John Tsang, who was backed by the mainstream pro-democrats.{{cite news|title='Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung enters chief executive race, urging allies not to vote for 'lesser evils'|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2069091/long-hair-leung-kwok-hung-enters-ce-race-urging-allies-not-vote|date=8 February 2017|newspaper=South China Morning Post|access-date=20 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171124195645/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2069091/long-hair-leung-kwok-hung-enters-ce-race-urging-allies-not-vote|archive-date=24 November 2017|url-status=live}} Leung later dropped out after failing to grab enough signatures in an unofficial civil petition.{{cite news|title=【特首選戰】長毛宣佈不參選：2萬人撐證公民提名可行|newspaper=Apple Daily|date=25 February 2017|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20170225/56352794|access-date=20 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401225511/http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/news/20170225/56352794|archive-date=1 April 2017|url-status=live}}

In July 2017, Nathan Law was ousted from the Legislative Council over their manners at the oath-taking ceremony at the inaugural meeting with three other pro-democracy legislators, Leung Kwok-hung, Lau Siu-lai and Yiu Chung-yim, losing the party's only elected representation.{{cite news|title=Four More Hong Kong Lawmakers Ousted in a Blow to Democratic Hopes|url=https://time.com/4856181/hong-kong-lawmakers-oath-china-disqualified/|magazine=Time|date=17 July 2017|access-date=18 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928121835/http://time.com/4856181/hong-kong-lawmakers-oath-china-disqualified/|archive-date=28 September 2018|url-status=live}} The controversy, triggered by two pro-independence legislators, Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching of Youngspiration resulted in the unprecedented legal actions by the government against elected legislators and the controversial interpretation of the Basic Law of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) which led to the disqualification of the six legislators as a result.

On 17 August 2017, Nathan Law and Joshua Wong, the chairman and the secretary-general of Demosistō, were imprisoned alongside former general secretary of the Hong Kong Federation of Students Alex Chow for their storming into the Civic Square which triggered the 79-day 2014 Hong Kong protests.{{cite news |last=Siu |first=Jasmine |date=18 August 2017 |title=Joshua Wong and other jailed Hong Kong leaders see political careers halted |url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2107216/occupy-activists-joshua-wong-and-nathan-law-jailed-hong-kong |work=South China Morning Post |location=Hong Kong |access-date=26 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924040955/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2107216/occupy-activists-joshua-wong-and-nathan-law-jailed-hong-kong |archive-date=24 September 2017 |url-status=live }}

Agnes Chow, core member of Demosistō, announced her candidacy for the seat left vacant by Nathan Law in the 2018 Hong Kong Island by-election. However, her candidacy was disqualified by the Electoral Affairs Commission of the basis that she "cannot possibly comply with the requirements of the relevant electoral laws, since advocating or promoting 'self-determination' is contrary to the content of the declaration that the law requires a candidate to make to uphold the Basic Law and pledge allegiance to the [Hong Kong Special Administrative Region]."{{cite news|title=Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow banned from Legco by-election|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2130714/hong-kong-activist-agnes-chow-banned-legco-election|date=27 January 2018|newspaper=South China Morning Post|access-date=27 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127034320/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2130714/hong-kong-activist-agnes-chow-banned-legco-election|archive-date=27 January 2018|url-status=live}}

In the 2019 District Council election, Demosistō secretary-general Joshua Wong, who planned to run for the South Horizons West constituency, received letters from Returning Officers asking if he was running on behalf of his party Demosistō and if he supported the notion of "self-determination" for Hong Kong. More than ten days after the nomination period, acting Returning Officer Laura Liang Aron, who replaced Dorothy Ma Chau Pui-fun who took indefinite sick leave, barred Joshua Wong from running due to political reasons, making Wong the only pro-democrat to be disqualified due to his political stance in the election. Aron issued a six-page ruling noting that Wong dropped his advocacy of the option of independence as "a compromise, instead of a genuine intention" as Wong referred to CCP general secretary Xi Jinping's remarks on separatism as a "stern threat" and reason for him and Demosistō to give up the advocacy of independence. Wong said the Returning Officer's decision showed that the central government was rigging the election, which was expected to be a key test of public sentiment about the protest movement.{{cite news|title=Hong Kong Bars Joshua Wong, a Prominent Activist, From Seeking Election|work=The New York Times|date=29 October 2019|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/world/asia/joshua-wong-hong-kong-protests.html|access-date=29 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029073005/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/world/asia/joshua-wong-hong-kong-protests.html|archive-date=29 October 2019|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Democracy activist Joshua Wong barred from running in Hong Kong district council election|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3035285/democracy-activist-joshua-wong-banned-running-hong-kong|date=29 October 2019|work=South China Morning Post|access-date=29 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029073005/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3035285/democracy-activist-joshua-wong-banned-running-hong-kong|archive-date=29 October 2019|url-status=live}}

In April 2020, Demosistō published a report on property ownership by the Hong Kong Liaison Office.{{Cite web|date=2020-04-21|title=Beijing office owns more than 700 properties in Hong Kong - pro-democracy group|url=https://hongkongfp.com/2020/04/21/beijing-office-owns-more-than-700-properties-in-hong-kong-pro-democracy-group/|access-date=2021-06-20|website=Hong Kong Free Press HKFP|language=en-GB}} The report found more than 700 apartment units, along with other previously unreported property.

After a series of disqualification of the Demosistō candidates, the party passed a resolution in January 2020 to abandon its advocacy for "democratic self-determination" on its platform, replacing with "democratic and progressive values".{{cite web |title=Dropping self-determination not a compromise |url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1502384-20200112.htm |publisher=RTHK |access-date=12 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112112845/https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1502384-20200112.htm |archive-date=12 January 2020 |url-status=live }}

On 30 June 2020, hours after the National People's Congress passed the Hong Kong national security law, secretary-general Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, Jeffrey Ngo and former chairman Nathan Law announced they were withdrawing from Demosistō. Shortly after, the party announced it would disband, effective immediately.{{cite news |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3091241/national-security-law-chinese-president-xi-jinping-signs |title=National security law: tough new reality for Hong Kong as offenders face maximum sentence of life in jail |newspaper=South China Morning Post |date=30 June 2020 |access-date=4 July 2020 |archive-date=4 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704042725/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3091241/national-security-law-chinese-president-xi-jinping-signs |url-status=live }}

• Nathan Law, 2016–2018
• Ivan Lam, 2018–2020

• Oscar Lai, 2016–2017
• Tiffany Yuen, 2017–2018
• Issac Cheng, 2019–2020

• Joshua Wong, 2016–2020

• Agnes Chow, 2016–2020
• Kwok Hei-yiu, 2017–2018
• Chan Kok-hin, 2018–2020

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|demosisto.hk}}

{{Hong Kong political parties}}

{{Portal bar|Hong Kong|Politics|Society}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demosisto}}

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