Nathan Law, a former student leader in the pro-democracy Occupy Movement in 2014, has said that he is considering running for a Hong Kong Island seat in the Legislative Council.
The former secretary-general of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, which played a large role in the 2014 pro-democracy Occupy protests, told Ming Pao on Tuesday that he “will not run independently” if he joins the elections. When he joins an organisation, he said, “it will be one that is firm about self-determination and more focused on simply promoting political movements.”
He said that while he was not a localist, he supported the idea of self-determination. “I am looking for a fair society where less people suffer,” he said. He said that he did not agree with letting go of moral values for a political goal.
While localist groups support democracy, they are better known for their anti-communist position and their close association with movements promoting the expansion of Hong Kong’s autonomy and independence.
Law: Respect needed to cool tensions
Law also said that the central government “must learn to start to respect Hong Kong people, in order to let the trend of localism fade,” and that “[Chief Executive] Leung Chun-ying is the father of Hong Kong independence.”
He said that the central and Hong Kong government have put the burden of reflection on protesters, who are exposing problems in society. He said that those who propose self-determination or Hong Kong independence were not being incited by someone or something.
