Localist camp

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The localist camp are the various groups with localist ideologies in Hong Kong. It emerged from post-80s social movements in the late 2000s which centred on the preservation of the city's autonomy and local lifestyles and opposed the perceived growing encroachment of the Chinese government on the city's management of its own political, economic, and social affairs. Although grouped together with the pro-democracy camp, they have a distinct view as they advocate for Hongkongers’ right to self-determination. While milder elements advocates for greater autonomy while remaining part of China, the more radical elements call for the return to British rule or full independence as a sovereign state. Some also advocate for a more aggressive and militant stance against the mainland government in defending local interests. For that reason, they are labelled as "radicals" and "separatists" by the Chinese government. The localists gained significant traction following widespread protests in 2014 against the Chinese government's decision to pre-screen Chief Executive candidates before allowing them to be chosen by the general public in the 2017 election. Following these protests, a number of localist political parties were formed, organising protests and participated in Legislative Council elections. They won a total numbers of six seats (excluding Claudia Mo) with 19 per cent of vote share (excluding Claudia Mo and Gary Fan) in the 2016 Legislative Council election. After the 2016 election, localists such as Nathan Law, Lau Siu-lai, Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching were unseated from the Legislative Council over the oath-taking controversy. In the aftermath of the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, localists were largely absorbed into the broader spectrum of the pro-democracy camp. As a result of the 2020 national security law, many localist parties dissolved and many notable localist figures were arrested or went into exile.