Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp won a key by-election on Monday, with one young activist who advocates independence from China also taking tens of thousands of votes in closely-watched polls at a time of rising political tension.
While it was a candidate from one of the established pro- democracy parties who won the election, the results showed growing support for the more radical “localist” movement, which advocates far greater autonomy from Beijing amid rising concerns over Chinese interference.
The movement grew out of the failure of pro-democracy rallies in 2014 to win concessions on political reform and advocates more radical tactics to force change. Student Edward Leung, 24, one of the leaders of localist group Hong Kong Indigenous, took more than 66,000 votes in the election held on Sunday in New Territories East - far more than observers expected.
That secured him third place behind pro-Beijing candidate Holden Chow in second and Alvin Yeung of the established pro-democracy Civic Party who won the seat.