The Political Entanglement of Professional Associations in Post-Handover Hong Kong

Pamela Tsui, University of Toronto
Ottica Chong, University of Toronto
Sida Liu, The University of Hong Kong

This paper investigates the responses exhibited by professional associations in Hong Kong towards social movements spanning from 1997 to 2021, with a focus on the legal, medical, and journalist professions. The research scrutinizes the annual reports, statements, and media coverage of the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Medical Association, and the Hong Kong Journalists Association during and following three major social movements that occurred in 2003, 2014, and 2019. The findings suggest that with the escalating politicization during this period, the associations increasingly found themselves navigating both external and internal polarizations. Despite striving to maintain professional integrity, their responses were often interpreted through a political lens by both pro-government and pro-democracy factions, prompting questions about their allegiances. The associations thus developed various strategies to maneuver through these politicized terrains, influenced by the associations’ positioning and the perceived threats to their professions. The study reveals a triadic dynamic process among professional associations, the government, and the public, manifesting both in public discourse and within the associations themselves, which shapes the political entanglement of these bodies amidst turbulent times.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 157. Sources and Social Networks