page_title: Democratic development in Hong Kong
section_title: Current status
hierarchical_section_title: Democratic development in Hong Kong / Post-1997 / Current status
caption_attribution_description: English: A march held on 20 August 2017 in support of jailed pro-democracy activists. The march walked from Southorn Playground to the Court of Final Appeal. Photo taken from the footbridge outside the High Court.
context_page_description: Democratic and human rights have been major issues since the transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997. The one country, two systems principle allows the Hong Kong government to administer all areas of government except foreign relations and defence separately from the national Chinese government. Many Hong Kong citizens became concerned about democratic development when the first Chief executive of Hong Kong Tung Chee-hwa appeared to have mishandled this issue. Other democracy-related issues involving human rights and universal suffrage became the new focal point for the pro-democracy camp. Attempts to bring Hong Kong citizens to the negotiating table by the British during the Sino-Anglo discussions were rejected by Beijing in the late 1980s. The last governor Chris Patten faced a great deal of opposition in changing the former colony's political system. However, China has been criticized for infringement of the "one country, two systems" policy.
  Since the election of Leung Chun-ying as Chief Executive in 2012, democratic development has come to a halt.
context_section_description: Due to the rejection of 2014–15 Hong Kong electoral reform,  Mainland Government officials, along with then Chief Executive CY Leung and current Chief Executive Carrie Lam have said that the development of democracy in Hong Kong is not a top priority and that the Hong Kong government should focus on livelihood issues first.
  Candidates for election to the Legislative Council in 2016 were pre-screened by the Electoral Affairs Commission for their political beliefs and many were excluded on the basis that their views were "unconstitutional".  Those excluded included Yeung Ke-cheong, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party of Hong Kong.
caption: March in support of jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders, 20 August 2017
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