Hong Kong's last pro-democracy party disbands under pressure from Beijing
The League of Social Democrats in Hong Kong has ceased operations: the tightened national security law threatens its activists with life imprisonment, leaving the city without an opposition.
Photo: @hkdc_us / x.com
HONG KONG, June 29 — The League of Social Democrats (LSD), the last pro-democracy party in the city, has announced its self-dissolution. This was reported by Hong Kong Free Press.
Chairperson Chan Po-ying said the decision was made today at an emergency meeting due to the tightened national security law, which allows life sentences for “subversive” activity. “Every one of our activists is under threat of arrest,” she said.
The LSD had around thirty members and regularly held protests in support of political prisoners.
According to DW, Chan noted that there is no longer any space for legal opposition in Hong Kong. In the past two years, two other pro-democracy groups — “New Citizen” and “Civic Alliance” — have also shut down.
With LSD’s departure, the former British colony is now left without any official opposition, and the political landscape is fully under Beijing’s control.
It is worth noting that the 1984 Joint Declaration granted Hong Kong a 50-year transitional period — until 2047 — for full integration under Beijing, based on the principle of “one country, two systems.”
However, actual autonomy has significantly eroded since the introduction of the national security law in 2020 and its tightening in 2024. Although formal guarantees remain in place until mid-century, in practice, Hong Kong is already under strict political control from Beijing:
Key political freedoms, including free elections and opposition parties, have been almost entirely suppressed since 2020.
The 2024 legislation (Article 23) introduced harsher penalties, including life imprisonment for acts deemed “subversive.”
Formally, full transfer of control is expected after 2047, but in reality, that scenario has already arrived — autonomy has been dismantled, and Beijing’s presence is deeply integrated into Hong Kong’s political and legal systems.