New York, Dec 6 (NationPress) Human Rights Watch (HRW), an advocacy organization based in the United States, has labeled the upcoming Legislative Council election in Hong Kong, set for Sunday, as a “sham”, asserting that it reveals the increasing dominance of Beijing.

The rights group pointed out that the absence of any pro-democracy candidates makes it evident that the Chinese government's portrayal of the LegCo as a legitimate body “hardly deceives anyone”.

HRW noted that many residents of Hong Kong silently boycotted the last election in 2021, resulting in an unprecedentedly low voter turnout.

“After five years of a sweeping crackdown, Beijing has taken complete charge of the LegCo. They altered laws to ensure that only loyalists to the Chinese Communist Party could participate, reduced the number of directly elected seats from 35 to 20 out of 90, disqualified democratically elected lawmakers, and imprisoned numerous leaders from the city's pro-democracy movement. Pro-democracy parties have dissolved, with the last active group, the League of Social Democrats, disbanding in June,” the rights organization reported.

Furthermore, the HRW underscored that Beijing is not only dismantling the entire pro-democracy faction; just days before the candidacy deadline, at least 22 senior pro-Beijing legislators announced their decision not to run for re-election. Analysts suggest that “Beijing orchestrated this upheaval to position individuals even more loyal to the party”.

The HRW highlighted that the current LegCo includes an increasing number of officials from the mainland with strong connections to the Chinese government but minimal understanding of Hong Kong. It remarked that election debates—which were once vibrant—now seem as “hollow and stilted” as the election itself.

“Authorities in Hong Kong are intensifying their crackdown on individuals challenging the façade. At least eight people have been arrested for incitement; others for urging people to abstain from voting. In November, a national security judge sentenced a woman to a year in prison for advocating for the Hong Kong Parliament, a diaspora-led project aimed at creating an unofficial democratic legislature outside of China,” the HRW added.

The HRW also pointed to the recent tragic Tai Po fire in Hong Kong, which has raised alarms about governmental negligence, indicating that the absence of democratic institutions has tangible repercussions—not just in terms of lives but also in effective governance.

“Calls for government accountability following the fire seem to be unnerving Beijing. Instead of escalating repression in Hong Kong at a significant cost, the Chinese government ought to take steps to restore the openness that once characterized Hong Kong’s dynamic and prosperous society,” the HRW asserted.