Edward Leung

Edward Leung
梁天琦
Spokesman of Hong Kong Indigenous
In office
January 2015 – 18 December 2017
Personal details
Born (1991-06-02) 2 June 1991
Wuhan, Hubei, China
Nationality Hong Kong
Political party Hong Kong Indigenous (2015–17)
Residence Yuen Long, Hong Kong
Education University of Hong Kong (B.A. in Philosophy and Politics)
Occupation Student
Known for 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest
Edward Leung
Traditional Chinese 梁天琦

Edward Leung Tin-kei (Chinese: 梁天琦; born 2 June 1991) is a Hong Kong student and activist. He is the former spokesman of Hong Kong Indigenous, a localist group. He took a leading role and was arrested in the 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest. He ran in the 2016 New Territories East by-election in the New Territories East and received more than 66,000 votes, around 15% of the votes. Five months later, he was barred from running in the 2016 Hong Kong Legislative Council election due to his pro-Hong Kong independence stance.

Biography

Leung was born in China and moved to Hong Kong with his mother when he was around one year old.[1] He is a student at the University of Hong Kong, majoring in Philosophy with a minor in Politics and Public Administration. He was a member of Ricci Hall, HKU and leading the development of it actively. Prior to this, he completed secondary education at Shung Tak Catholic English College in Yuen Long District, the district in which he still resides.

2016 New Territories East by-election and Mong Kok unrest

He is the spokesman of Hong Kong Indigenous, a localist group formed in early 2015. He had said that he believed in Hong Kong people's right of self-determination for independence. In January 2016, he represented the group to run in the New Territories East by-election of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and was endorsed by Youngspiration, another localist group.[2]

On 9 February 2016, three weeks before the election, Leung was widely reported by the international media after he was arrested by police during the civil unrest in Mong Kok, after the group Hong Kong Indigenous called upon the people to come onto street in defence of the unlicensed street hawkers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department inspectors. The confrontation later turned into violent clashes between police and the protesters.[3] Leung and around 20 members and volunteers of the group were arrested.[4][5]

He rapidly gained popularity at the election and became the new face of the "militant localist". He received 66,524 votes, about 15 percent of the total votes, behind Alvin Yeung and Holden Chow.[6] The better-than-expected result was considered a big boost for the localist cause.[7]

On the 11th June 2018, Leung was sentenced to six years in jail for offences committed in the Mong Kok riots.[8]

Barred from running in 2016 Legislative Council election

Leung intended to run again in the 2016 Legislative Council election, but was challenged by the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC)'s new election measure to require all candidates to sign an additional "confirmation form" in the nomination to declare their understanding of Hong Kong being an inalienable part of China as stipulated in the Basic Law of Hong Kong. Leung said he would not sign the form and would seek a judicial review.[9] After the court refused to immediately hear the judicial reviews, Leung decided to sign the confirmation form. Before that, EAC returning officer Cora Ho Lai-sheung sent Leung an email asking if he would still advocate Hong Kong independence although he had signed the original form to pledge to uphold the Basic Law.

On 2 August, Leung received an email from Ho telling Leung that his nomination was "invalidated" with the attachment of Leung's Facebook posts, newspaper clippings and cited transcripts of his remarks at press conferences, and stated that although Leung had signed the forms, she did not believe that Leung "genuinely changed his previous stance for independence."[10][11][12]

On 18 December 2017, he announced his departure from the Hong Kong Indigenous ahead of his trial.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "本土身份遭質疑　梁天琦認非香港出生". on.cc. 5 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "本民前梁天琦獲青政支持". Apple Daily. 11 January 2016.
  3. ↑ Lau, Chris; Lee, Danny; Ng, Joyce; Lo, Clifford (9 February 2016). "Mong Kok riot: thousands expected to gather for New Year fireworks as government stares down protesters". South China Morning Post.
  4. ↑ "【旺角黑夜】本民前梁天琦被捕". HK01. 9 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "【旺角衝突】本民前稱警上門圖強行入屋 約20成員義工被捕". Apple Daily. 9 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "2016 Legislative Council Geographical Constituency New Territories By-election – Election Result". Electoral Affairs Commission. 29 February 2016.
  7. ↑ "【新東補選】馬嶽：本土派有市場料更多名單爭泛民票源". Apple Daily. 29 February 2016.
  8. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/11/hong-kong-jails-independence-leader-edward-leung-for-six-years
  9. ↑ Ng, Joyce; Ng, Kang-chung (14 July 2016). "'Accept Hong Kong is part of China or you can't run in Legco elections'". South China Morning Post.
  10. ↑ Ng, Joyce (2 August 2016). "Hong Kong Indigenous' Edward Leung disqualified from Legco elections". South China Morning Post.
  11. ↑ Cheng, Kris (2 August 2016). "Edward Leung has not genuinely switched from pro-independence stance, says election official". Hong Kong Free Press.
  12. ↑ Ng, Joyce (3 August 2016). "Lawyers question power of returning officers to disqualify Hong Kong poll candidates". South China Morning Post.
  13. ↑ "梁天琦退出本民前！辭黨籍盼審訊前陪至親". 蘋果日報. 2017-12-18.
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