A local pro-Beijing fraternity group has been accused of firing a clerk in December after discovering that she voted for the Democratic Party.
The clerk told Apple Daily she heard from other members of the group that Wong pledged to “ruin her reputation, so that she wouldn’t be able to find a job.” The supervisor allegedly called the clerk a “counter-revolutionary” and told others: “this is what you get for voting for the Democratic Party; this is what you get for opposing [Chief Executive] Leung Chun-ying.”
Established in 1994, the Hong Kong Hubei Fraternity is a local “patriotic” association claiming to support the development of Hubei province in mainland China.
In the past, fraternity groups representing different provinces and cities in the mainland reportedly organised pro-Beijing protests in Hong Kong, in which participants claimed they were promised monetary compensation. They have also been implicated in allegations of vote-rigging in local elections.
Counter-revolutionary
The clerk, who was identified using the pseudonym Ho to protect her identity, told Apple Daily that she was hired by the group in November last year, and often worked until two or three in the morning. She said her supervisor, Wong Kin-ning, often praised her working ability.
Prior to a conference on December 17, Wong asked Ho who she voted for in September’s Legislative Council election. Ho replied that she cast both her geographical and functional constituency votes for the Democratic Party.
Wong allegedly scolded Ho: “Don’t you know they are our enemies? They are counter-revolutionaries!”
Five days later, Wong reportedly fired Ho in the presence of the fraternity group’s secretary-general. Ho said she knew about her dismissal beforehand, and provided what she claimed were taped recordings of the December 17 conference to Apple Daily.
Ho added that she had never been persecuted for her political opinions even though she worked at Chinese-owned companies for many years.
‘We have a very clear stance’
Wong told Apple Daily on the phone that she never praised nor scolded Ho, and dismissed her because she did not perform well enough at work.
Regarding the political stance of the Hong Kong Hubei Fraternity, Wong said that the group had a very clear stance.
“We support One Country, Two Systems, right? Patriotism, right? We love the country and love Hong Kong – we’re very clear,” she said.
