In 2012, Wu became the Democratic Party's candidate in Kowloon East after Fred Li announced his retirement from the Legislative Council. He received 43,764 votes, 15 percent of the total vote share and was elected to the Legislative Council. He was re-elected in 2016, with an increase of votes, 50,309 votes which counted for 15 percent of the vote share.[4]
He contested in the Democratic Party chairmanship election in 2014. He entered in the second round with 104 votes against incumbent Emily Lau's 158 votes. He lost the second round to Lau by 145 to 171 votes. Wu ran again in the 2016 chairmanship election after Emily Lau retired from the Legislative Council and her party office. He was elected the party chairman uncontestedly, with 92 percent of the confidence vote.[5]
On 11 November 2020, 15 democratic lawmakers including Wu resigned en masse in protest of a decision made by the central government in Beijing the same day, authorizing the Hong Kong government to dismiss politicians who were deemed to be a threat under the
national security law promulgated in the city on 30 June 2020; the initial dismissal had concerned four democrats. Wu said that the Beijing ruling was a declaration of the "official death" of the One country, two systems principle.[6]
Legal cases
Wu was arrested on 1 November 2020, along with six other democratic councillors, in connection with a melee that broke out in the Legislative Council on 8 May 2020. On that day, Starry Lee, the incumbent chair of the House Committee of the Legislative Council, had attempted to commence a meeting of the committee after extended stalling tactics of the pan-democratic camp over the previous months.[7]
On 8 December 2020, Wu was arrested for allegedly inciting and participating in the unauthorized 1 July march that year. Seven other democrats were arrested the same day on similar charges.[8]
On 6 January 2021, Wu was among 53members of the pro-democratic camp who were arrested under the national security law, specifically its provision regarding subversion. The group stood accused of organizing and/or participating in unofficial primary elections held by the camp in July 2020. During the arrest, police allegedly found a BN(O) passport belonging to Wu, a breach of bail conditions for the illegal assembly charge, which included the surrender of all travel documents. Wu was detained at a Correctional Services facility until a hearing on 8 January at West Kowloon Court.[9] At that hearing, Wu was found to have breached bail conditions, had his bail revoked, and was detained due to the magistrate seeing a substantial risk of Wu absconding.[10] On 7 May 2021, High Court judge Esther Toh granted Wu an emergency bail application to attend his father's funeral, in an appeal of the Correctional Services Department's earlier refusal.[11]
On 30 May 2024, Wu was convicted by a Hong Kong national security court of conspiring to commit subversion,[12] and on 19 November 2024, he was sentenced to 4 years and 5 months’ incarceration.[13] He can therefore expect to be held until 2026.[14]
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wu Chi-wai.
