The League of Social Democrats, one of Hong Kong鈥檚 last opposition political parties, has announced it will disband after operating for nearly two decades.
The decision was revealed in a press event invite sent out by the political party on Friday. In the document, the group said it would share further details about its plan to disband in the briefing on Sunday.
鈥淣ext year marks the 20th anniversary of the League of Social Democrats. However, we will not survive to see that day and will announce our disbandment,鈥 it said.
The invitation did not specify why the party was opting to disband.
The decision was made as the city prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of the implementation of the 2020 national security law.
Founded in 2006, the group was considered the 鈥渞adical wing鈥 of the city鈥檚 opposition camp. At one point, three party members held seats in the Legislative Council, including veteran activist and league co-founder 鈥淟ong Hair鈥 Leung Kwok-hung.
The party鈥檚 other founding members are former lawmaker Albert Chan Wai-yip and Raymond 鈥淢ad Dog鈥 Wong Yuk-man, a pro-Taiwan commentator and radio host.
Professor Lau Siu-kai, a consultant with Beijing鈥檚 semi-official think tank, the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said he believed central authorities were not behind the political party鈥檚 disbandment.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Beijing cares that much about the fate of the league, which is a depleted force with minimal political appeal and is not even a viable political force,鈥 he said.
鈥淯nder the national security law and the new political configuration of 鈥榩atriots governing Hong Kong鈥 鈥 there is no room in Hong Kong for an opposition party that refuses to recognise the constitutional order in Hong Kong undergirded by the Constitution of China and the Basic Law.鈥
Chan Wai-keung, a political scientist at Polytechnic University鈥檚 college of professional and continuing education, said the party鈥檚 influence had waned with the departure of several of its star leaders.
鈥淭here is no need for Beijing to exert pressure. The group has largely become a no-one-cares party, and it simply cannot continue to operate if it has no popular support and no money to support its work,鈥 he said.
A number of opposition-leaning political or civil society groups have disbanded since Beijing imposed the national security law on the city in 2020.
Members of the Democratic Party, once the largest opposition party in Hong Kong, successfully voted in February of this year to make preparations to shut down, while the Civic Party wrapped up procedures to disband in March 2024.
The League of Social Democrats鈥 controversial legacy includes a reputation for confrontational tactics inside and outside the legislature.
In 2008, party member Wong interrupted then city leader Donald Tsang Yam-kuen鈥檚 policy address by throwing a banana in his direction.
Eight years later, Leung, as a lawmaker, snatched a folder from a government official that contained confidential information at a Legco panel meeting because he was unhappy with the official鈥檚 reply to his questions.
Leung and Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, a core member of the party, were among 45 opposition camp members sentenced to prison in a landmark subversion trial.
Sham, who was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, was released in May due to the time he spent in pre-trial detention being taken into account.