A few days shy of the sixth anniversary of the "black-clad riots," Joshua Wong in jail was hit with another charge: "conspiring to collude with foreign forces" under the National Security Law. Predictably, the US State Department wheeled out its usual strong condemnation, demanding the charges be dropped. But as a friend in political circles told me with a cold laugh, this is the same US government that slammed the door in Wong's face when he came begging for help.
The US State Department's condemnation of Joshua Wong's arrest rings hollow. When Wong came knocking at their consulate begging for asylum, they slammed the door in his face. It's hypocrisy at its finest
When Wong sensed the law was closing in, he naively believed his American "masters" would swoop in to save him. He was wrong. Officials at the US Consulate General in Hong Kong flatly denied him entry, and a direct plea to the Secretary of State went unanswered. The US ruthlessly discarded its pawn then, so its outrage now, echoed by the shameless "feigned compassion" of figures like Marco Rubio, rings utterly hollow. Meanwhile, the foot soldiers of the riots who fled to the US are discovering their American dream is a waking nightmare, stuck in a years-long asylum limbo with no end in sight.
A 'Leader' Left Out in the Cold
This whole sorry affair has ripped the hypocritical mask right off the US government's face. On the eve of the National Security Law's implementation in June 2020, a panicked Wong arranged a meeting with US consular officials. He asked to enter the consulate to seek political asylum, but was met with a blunt "no." The official excuse—that asylum can only be sought on US soil—was a flimsy fob-off, barely concealing the real political calculations at play. It's a classic case of all talk, no action. Denied entry, Wong had no choice but to walk away.
He then fired off a desperate email to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, again pleading for help. The response was silence. US media later confirmed what was obvious: the Americans were worried that sheltering Wong would risk the consulate being shut down. When it came down to it, American interests came first, and Joshua Wong was left to his fate.
No Room at the Inn
And if that's how they treat a supposed "leader" like Wong, what hope did the ordinary "foot soldiers" have? Take Tony Chung, former convenor of "Studentlocalism." When he found himself cornered in October 2020, he too made a run for the US consulate. He was similarly turned away and promptly arrested by National Security officers just outside. Then there's Tsang Chi-kin, who was shot after assaulting a police officer. He also tried the consulate, was ordered to leave, and ended up living like a fugitive for nearly a year.
These stories all point to the same grim reality: to the US government and its politicians, people like Joshua Wong are assets, not allies. They are judged purely on their utility, with no regard for loyalty. Senator Marco Rubio, who once championed Wong and hosted him in Washington, is a prime example. Now that Wong is arrested, the State Department issues its standard condemnation, but it’s just a convenient pretext to attack China. The words of support are empty; the "feigned compassion" is there for all to see.
"Senator Marco Rubio couldn't praise Joshua Wong enough when he was a useful political asset. His newfound 'concern' now? Textbook case of 'feigned compassion'.
An American Dream Turned Nightmare
The "brothers-in-arms" who managed to flee to the US are learning this lesson the hard way. Some applied for political asylum four years ago and are still waiting, without so much as an interview. They’ve watched as undocumented migrants from Mexico leapfrog them in the queue and gain asylum much faster. As long as their applications are pending, they have no official status. Now, with the looming possibility of a Trump presidency and a massive crackdown on "illegal immigrants," these activists are stuck in a miserable limbo.
Whether it's Joshua Wong being shown the door or his followers being left to languish in America, their six-year illusion of American righteousness ought to be well and truly shattered by now.
Lai Ting-yiu
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The League of Social Democrats (LSD) went out with a bang recently, shouting "Rather be ashes than dust” " as they dissolved – a rather theatrical exit that reminded me of the fictional character Ah Q and his delusional heroics. Political insiders I know just sneered at this performance, saying bluntly: "They've been causing chaos for years, damaging rather than helping Hong Kong's democratic development. Now that it's all over, they should be remembered as 'democracy sinners.'" I couldn't agree more.
Recently, Civic Party founding member Ronny Tong posted on Facebook about the LSD's demise, echoing similar sentiments. He pointed out how “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung and "Mad Dog" Wong Yuk-man brought their "struggle culture" into the legislature, corroding the political ideals of the democratic camp and ultimately causing the complete failure of the pan-democrats. He also admitted quite candidly that the "blue blood" Civic Party got sucked into this dark vortex, and his inability to save it led to his disheartened departure from the party. Having dug into some insider information from that period, I find myself deeply sympathizing with his words.
Ronny Tong delivered his Facebook verdict on the LSD's dissolution, pointing out how leaders Wong Yuk-man and Long Hair's radical culture "eroded" traditional pan-democrats, leading to their ultimate complete failure – even dragging the "blue blood" Civic Party into the dark vortex.
From Gentle Protests to Legislative Mayhem
Tong wasn't surprised to see the LSD dissolve after the Civic Party and Democratic Party had already folded, but it brought back memories of the old days. He recalled how back in 2004, when he and Long Hair were both elected as New Territories East Legislative Council members, the most intense behavior of Long Hair in the legislative Council was standing up to shout his protests. Council President Mrs. Fan would respond like a patient parent teaching her child: "Long Hair, please sit down," and Long Hair would obediently comply, never actually disrupting the meeting order.
But things changed dramatically after Wong Yuk-man (the LSD chairman) entered the Legislative Council in 2008. He brought what you might call a "new culture" of foul language, verbal abuse, and physical confrontation into the chamber. It was quite the transformation.
The Civic Party's Descent Into Chaos
Tong noted that while it was understandable for the LSD to establish a distinctive image, he never expected the "blue blood" Civic Party to be gradually sucked into this dark, bottomless vortex of struggle politics. Later, they even became a main force behind the "Five Constituencies Referendum." The traditional democratic camp's inability to stick to their own governing philosophy was the primary cause of their ultimate complete failure.
Looking back at insider information from that time, the Civic Party being dragged into Wong Yuk-man's "Five Constituencies Referendum" was indeed the beginning of their radical turn. The LSD already harbored ambitions to seize leadership of the democratic camp at that point. Mad Dog vigorously pushed for five district legislators to resign, followed by by-elections, using this as a "de facto referendum" on political reform. The Civic Party was dragged along as if blind-folded, while Democratic Party heavyweight Szeto Wah (Uncle Wah) strongly opposed it, firmly resisting the LSD's "invasion" and blocking Jimmy Lai's behind-the-scenes manipulation.
Internal Warfare and Prophecies of Doom
Within the Civic Party, core member Ronny Tong consistently opposed the "Five Constituencies Referendum" and even organized a party member forum, inviting Uncle Wah to attend and analyze the harm this action would cause. But his honest advice fell on deaf ears, and he became a minority voice within the party, suffering severe ostracism. During one internal discussion, after he voiced his opposition, a scholar colleague tried to speak in support, only to be pointed at and verbally abused by other party members present, while the chairman failed to intervene. At that moment, he first sensed that the Civic Party would eventually perish. Subsequent developments proved his prediction completely correct.
In his Facebook post, Tong mentioned that by 2016, the universal suffrage proposal was rejected due to unanimous opposition from pan-democratic legislators, because they insisted that universal suffrage must include "civic nomination," which contradicted Article 45 of the Basic Law. He remembered that when Long Hair first proposed "civic nomination," all traditional pan-democrats opposed it, but as "struggle culture" gradually eroded democratic ideals, they eventually became the main force opposing the universal suffrage proposal.
The proposal failed and died in the womb, universal suffrage progress stagnated, and a golden opportunity for democratic reform vanished into thin air. Tong lamented that every pan-democratic figure bore responsibility for the failure of universal suffrage. He himself, having failed to persuade the Civic Party, ultimately resigned from the party and his position in accountability.
When Mad Dog and Long Hair pushed the "Five Constituencies Referendum," Tong fought hard against it within the Civic Party, resulting in his ostracism and eventual angry departure from the party.
The Real Reason Behind the Pan-Democratic Collapse
As someone who lived through it all, Tong hit the nail on the head about why pan-democratic parties fell one by one: they were continuously "eroded" by the "radical struggle culture" of groups like the LSD, causing their original political ideals to crumble. As a result, they were led by the nose and ultimately walked down a dead-end path.
Before its "death," the LSD shouted "Better be ashes than dust," appearing heroic but actually embodying a "mutual destruction" mentality. They didn't just self-destruct – they dragged other traditional pan-democratic parties off the cliff with them, taking the universal suffrage proposal to the grave as well.
When we're recording historical merits and faults, radical organizations like the LSD, including leaders such as Mad Dog and Long Hair, are all sinners who destroyed Hong Kong's democracy. That's the harsh truth of it.
Lai Ting-yiu
