Yuen Promotes Virtual HK Parliament in Vancouver

Yuen showing his Hong Kong passport in this handout photo

Despite having a HK$1 million bounty on his head, Elmer Yuen (Yuan Gong-yi) is unfazed and traveling to Vancouver proposing a virtual Hong Kong parliament with representatives in the diaspora.

"I don't feel threatened," the venture capitalist said in an interview with a Canadian news outlet. "[Chinese President Xi Jinping] is more scared than I am."

He has even distributed photographs of himself holding his Hong Kong passport, though Yuen probably holds another passport.

Ho (left) and Yuen promoting HK Parliament

Yuen was spurred by the arrest warrants for him and seven others, to fly to Vancouver from the United States to promote his virtual Hong Kong parliament to Hongkongers here and try to get the federal government to endorse it.

"My whole idea of this traveling is to get everyone to vote in order to run for the members of parliament. So that's what I'm doing. I'm not scared," he said.

"Because of this warrant for my arrest is everywhere, at least 1 million people got news of what's happening about the Hong Kong parliament."

This is not a new idea -- he proposed it last July together with Vancouver journalist Victor Ho Leung-mau, who was accused by the Hong Kong government of subverting the national security law.

They are hoping to jump-start the election later this year or next year, with the aim of having the parliament reflect the democratic power of Hongkongers that had been promised to them before 1997.

"I want the Canadian government to recognise the Hong Kong parliament. That's the most important (thing). I am no a mission and my mission is to fight the Communist party and you cannot fight as an individual," said Yuen.

Yuen's son Derek is married to Eunice Yung

"You must have the organisation and the organisation is [the] Hong Kong parliament."

Yuen also plans to travel to Taiwan, Australia and the UK to promote this parliament-in-exile plan.

"If they want to fight for the freedom of Hong Kong, the best thing is to vote. You don't have a gun, you don't have anything. So, your weapon for democracy and freedom is your vote," he said.

However, Hong Kong police have accused Yuen of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security.

His daughter-in-law, New People's Party lawmaker Eunice Yung Hoi-yan is urging Yuen to surrender himself, even though she claims to have cut ties with him last August.

In the meantime will Yuen be able to realise his plan for a parliament-in-exile? 

Some may just be too busy keeping their head above water to contemplate this plan... 

Patriot Ad

Yung's ad in Oriental Daily severing ties with father-in-law

The talk of the town today is a devoted display of patriotism, so much so that it goes against Confucianist principles of respecting your elders, including your father-in-law.

Pro-Beijing lawmaker Eunice Yung Hoi-yan has severed ties with her pro-democracy father-in-law, Elmer Yuen, but did it very publicly.

In yesterday's Oriental Daily, she published a quarter-page ad announcing the end of her relationship with Yuen, making it very clear in black and white.

"I, Eunice Yung, as a Chinese person with the blood of the great motherland flowing through my veins, on the premise of the righteous cause of the country and according to claims made by the National Security Department that Mr Elmer Yuen allegedly contravened the offence of subversion under the national security law, do hereby declare that I am breaking off in-law relations with Mr Elmer Yuen," the advert said.

Yung's wedding day, Elmer Yuen on far left

He allegedly contravened the offence of subversion though it has not been proven in court nor has he been arrested for it.

But Yung seems to be pre-empting the possibility of being connected to his actions and making this declaration now.

Her father-in-law Yuen is alleged to have, together with ex-lawmaker elected Baggio Leung Chung-hang, and journalist Victor Ho Leung-mau of forming a committee to establish a "Hong Kong parliament". 

While the police claim it will spare no effort in bringing the alleged offenders to justice, it will be hard to as Yuen left Hong Kong several years ago.

And if the newspaper ad didn't get across to a big enough audience, Yung also posted it on her social media and urged people "not to test the law", and cut ties with anyone who may have violated the national security law.

The trio did apparently set up the "Hong Kong Parliament Electoral Organising Committee" in Canada in July this year, with the aim of holding its first election to the parliament in late 2023, according to the group's statement.

"It is the committee's belief that only genuine democratic election could literally [speak up] for the people of Hong Kong," the statement said.

Yuen knew Yung would denounce him one day

Yung's tensions with her in-laws is not new -- it was highlighted again in 2019 when the extradition bill came out which led to clashes between protesters and the police.

Not only does Yung have issues with her father-in-law, but also her sister-in-law Erica Yuen Mi-ming, who was chair of the pro-democratic People Power that is more radical than the other opposition groups before.

In 2020 in an RTHK program, Elmer Yuen said the Communist Party would criticise Eunice if she did not sever ties with him.

"So if she does so one day, I wouldn't blame her. I will take it easy if she denounces me," he said in the show.

He knows how it works.

But what of Yung's husband, Derick Yuen Mi-chang, a scholar and political commentator who describes himself as a centrist? 

Would Yung might be driven to divorce him for political reasons?

Stay tuned!