500,000 Hong Kongers cast 'protest' voteA volunteer holds a QR code for people to scan and vote during primary elections in Hong Kong on Sunday. (AFP photo)HONG KONG: Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong citizens queued to cast ballots over the weekend in what the Chinese-ruled city's opposition camp says is a symbolic protest vote against tough national security laws directly imposed by Beijing. Defying warnings from a senior Hong Kong official that the vote might fall foul of the national security law, residents young and old flocked to over 250 polling stations across the city, manned by thousands of volunteers. "They can arrest or disqualify any candidate they don't like under the national security law without a proper reason," said Owen Chow, a young democratic "localist" candidate. "It's a proxy referendum against the national security law," said Democratic lawmaker Eddie Chu outside a metro station.

Source: Bangkok Post July 12, 2020 10:52 UTC