Chan Po-ying
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chan Po-ying | |
|---|---|
陳寶瑩 | |
 Chan Po-ying (centre) protesting in 2024 | |
| Chairman of League of Social Democrats | |
| In office 25 July 2021 – 29 June 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Raphael Wong |
| Succeeded by | Party disbanded |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 March 1956 |
| Party | LSD (until 2025) |
| Spouse | |
Chan Po-ying (Chinese: 陳寶瑩) is a Hong Kong left-wing activist and the final chairperson of League of Social Democrats. She was described as one of the remaining opposition voices in the city following the national security crackdown which forced her to disband the last active pro-democracy party in Hong Kong.
Born in British Hong Kong to a family migrated from China, Chan Po-ying came of age during the emerging social movements, such as Vietnam War protests, civil rights movement, and women's suffrage movement, and heavily influenced her views.[1] Chan joined the Trotskyist party Revolutionary Marxist League in around 1975 and met Leung Kwok-hung, then a member.[2] Her father disowned her for participating in politics,[3] forcing Chan to work in garment factory for four years in her 20s.[1] In the early 1980s, she attempted to form a union of garment workers but failed.[3] In 1984 she helped forming the Association for the Advancement of Feminism,[3] before studying social work in university at 30. Chan is also dedicated to advocate labour rights and rights of women and poor, and supported the victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.[1] She became a well-known figure in protests that support left-wing and grassroots groups.[3][4]
League of Social Democrats
League of Social Democrats (LSD) was formed in 2006, positioning itself at the radical left-wing of the pan-democracy camp striving for better livelihood of the grassroots. Chan was one of the founding members, joining Leung Kwok-hung, Wong Yuk-man, Andrew To, and others.[5] While not a formal grandee of the party, she was one of the key coordinators of street activism, such as protesting against constitutional reform in 2007, the Express Rail Link in 2008, and in 2010 supporting the self-branded "referendum" by-election.[5]
She first ran for election in 2007 local elections representing LSD, but was defeated in Tsui Ping South constituency. After Leung Kwok-hung was re-elected in 2008 to the Legislative Council, Chan became the assistant of Leung, serving the role until Leung was disqualified as MP in 2017.[3] She was also the secretary-general of LSD from 2016 to 2020, before she stood back as vice until 2021.
