Alvin Yeung absorbed liberal notions during a youth spent in Canada — ideas he is now trying to disseminate in a less tolerant system
HONG KONG — Alvin Yeung doesn’t mince words about a new Hong Kong law promoting China’s national anthem. It not only requires the city’s school children to learn and sing the song, but includes penalties of up to three years in prison for anyone who dares insult it.And for Yeung, the fresh-faced leader of Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party, it’s also a stark contrast to how he was introduced to another anthem: O Canada.
He had to give up his actual Canadian citizenship recently to run for office here, but an orderly Quebec independence referendum, general elections where power was transferred without force and respect for partisan differences all left their mark. There are even a couple of Pierre Trudeau-authored tomes in the bookshelf behind his desk.And he’s not alone.
“Alvin Yeung as leader of CP, his job is difficult, very tough,” said Sixtus “Baggio” Leung, who was barred from taking his own elected seat in Legco two years ago because of anti-China statements. “The opposition in Hong Kong can’t do what oppositions do in other countries, because of the system.” From St. Andrew’s — where his interests ranged from public speaking to fencing and his nicknames included “Captain Hook” — Yeung studied political science at Western University in London, Ont. He’d already witnessed an eye-opening political event: the 1996 Quebec referendum.
It was that kind of dedication to which he says he aspired, and that helped convince him to return to his birthplace. Ironically, he first had to obtain a law degree in the U.K. to practice in Hong Kong’s British-style system. About half the elected legislators are also China-leaning, making the “pro-democracy” politicians a perennial minority, though polls indicate that more than half of Hong Kongers back them.
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