On Sunday, Hong Kong recorded over 600,000 citizens casting ballots in an unofficial poll that determines the strongest pro-democracy candidates to run for elections in September to Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, Hong Kong’s opposition camp stated.
The voting comes at a time when Hong Kong authorities have prohibited public protests for months on end due to coronavirus restrictions and arrested several over chanting protest slogans or holding protest papers.
The votes for the unofficial poll were seen as an imperative and rare opportunity for Hong Kongers to express public opinion.
Pro-democracy Hong Konger’s view this turnout as a protest vote against the recently implemented national security laws by China on Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy candidates aim to take over majority control of the Legislative Council for the first time from pro-China rivals.
Pro-democracy candidates seek to make use of the rising anti-China sentiment agitated by the newly introduced national security law, which critics say has severely eroded Hong Kong’s freedoms.
Ignoring official warnings of the vote falling foul of the national security law, organizers with the help of thousands of volunteers recorded 592,000 online and 21,000 paper ballot votes from residents young and old, by the end of the weekend.
The turnout is more than what was expected by the organizers.
What local Hong Kongers said during interviews with Reuters:
Sunny Cheung, 24, an aspiring young democrat lobbying and giving stump speeches said, “A high turnout will send a very strong signal to the international community, that we Hong Kongers never give up,”
“And that we still stand with the democratic camp, we still support democracy and freedom,” she added.
Prince Wong, 22, a candidate in the New Territories West district, stated, “I can really feel that young people haven’t given up yet, even though we are facing a very depressing future.”
“It helps me become more determined to fight.”
Owen Chow, a young democratic localist candidate reminded, “They can arrest or disqualify any candidate they don’t like under the national security law without a proper reason.”
What is the new national security law in Hong Kong?
The newly implemented national security law criminalizes “acts of secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security” and permits mainland Chinese security officials to operate legally in Hong Kong for the first time.
People found guilty under the national security law could end up to a lifetime in prison.