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Ng Kang-chung

Hong Kong authorities are seeking to remove at least five opposition groups from the official societies register, including the now-defunct Scholarism founded by jailed activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung and political party People Power.
The groups have three months to submit proof that they are still functioning or else their operations will be banned.
According to notices published by the Government Gazette on Friday, 285 community groups and organisations are facing the risk of deregistration.
The five former pan-democrat groups include Scholarism and People Power. Lesser-known groups include Kowloon City Matters, Tin Shui Wai New Force, and Sha Tin Community Network.
The notice, signed by an assistant societies officer, read: “I have reason to believe that the undermentioned societies have ceased to exist. In exercise of the powers conferred on me by [the Societies Ordinance], I hereby publish this notification [of intention to remove a notified society].
“Unless the undermentioned societies furnish me with proof of the existence of the societies within three months from the date of this notification, [they] shall be removed from the list of societies kept under [the ordinance].”
In Hong Kong, most political groups or community organisations register either as a society under the Societies Ordinance, or as a limited company under the Companies Ordinance.
Under the Societies Ordinance, applications to register are vetted by police.
A society can be deregistered following its dissolution or after a government order prohibiting its operation. Hong Kong authorities applied the ordinance to outlaw the pro-independence Hong Kong National Party in 2018.

If a societies officer believes a group does not exist any more, he or she can also have it deregistered unless proved otherwise.
Scholarism, a student group co-founded by activist Joshua Wong in 2011, was best known for its leadership role in the 2012 antinational education protests. It had already ceased functioning in 2016 and evolved into Demosisto, a political party that advocated self-determination.
The party was among the dozens of opposition parties and civil groups that disbanded following Beijing’s imposition of the national security law in 2020.
Wong is presently serving his sentences in jail for national security-related offences.
People Power used to be considered the radical wing of the opposition camp. It was co-founded in 2011 by then lawmakers Raymond Wong Yuk-man, also a popular radio host, and Albert Chan Wai-yip.
The party is best remembered for its filibustering tactics in Legco to delay the passage of the government budget and other bills it opposed.
Internal rifts, however, resulted in the party’s diminished influence and Raymond Wong later left the party while Albert Chan retired. The imposition of the national security law in 2020 also sparked an exodus of members and the party has since become inactive.


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Hong Kong to remove at least 5 opposition groups from societies register

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Hong Kong

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Nearly 300 community groups given three months to furnish proof of existence or risk having their operations banned


Nearly 300 community groups given three months to furnish proof of existence or risk having their operations banned.


Hong Kong to remove at least 5 opposition groups from societies register

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Nearly 300 community groups given three months to furnish proof of existence or risk having their operations banned

Nearly 300 community groups given three months to furnish proof of existence or risk having their operations banned