Hong Kong excludes activist from local election

Democracy activist Joshua Wong on Tuesday confirmed he received a notice barring him from running in a November district council election in Hong Kong. The 23-year-old condemned the move as “a political mission from Beijing” to exclude candidates who support self-rule in the semi-autonomous territory of China. Hong Kong has 18 district councils that oversee local public works and services.

What does this mean for activists in the territory? The ban is the latest sign that China has no intention of allowing free, open elections in Hong Kong. Wong said that since he submitted his nomination in October, he received three letters asking him to clarify his political beliefs. He previously served two prison sentences for his role in the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests. Since June, tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters have faced heavy-handed responses from security forces. Wong joined the demonstrations after his release in May.

Dig deeper: Read June Cheng’s March interview with Wong in WORLD about his vision for democracy in Hong Kong and the Christian foundations of his activism.