A political party formed by the leaders of the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong has stepped up its fight to win legal recognition after its application to register as a company was rejected. Former Occupy Central student leader and current secretary general of Demosisto Joshua Wong applied on Tuesday for a judicial review over the authorities' refusal to register the party.
Wong is requesting that the city's High Court review the decision, after the group's application to the Companies Registry was rejected on the grounds that the party advocates self-determination for Hong Kong, which Beijing sees as akin to a pro-independence stance.
"They dragged it out for nearly two years, so it's pretty clear that the Companies Registry had political issues to consider," Wong told reporters on Tuesday. "In the absence of any Hong Kong law on political parties, it is entirely reasonable for political groups to register as companies."
Wong is requesting that the city's High Court review the decision, after the group's application to the Companies Registry was rejected on the grounds that the party advocates self-determination for Hong Kong, which Beijing sees as akin to a pro-independence stance.
"They dragged it out for nearly two years, so it's pretty clear that the Companies Registry had political issues to consider," Wong told reporters on Tuesday. "In the absence of any Hong Kong law on political parties, it is entirely reasonable for political groups to register as companies."
