Meet The 17-Year-Old Who Cannot Vote But Is Leading HK's Pro-Democracy Movement
His name is Joshua Wong. He is only 17 and cannot vote. But he is at the forefront of a student movement for democracy in Hong Kong.
This is Joshua Wong, a 17-year-old a student leader, who, although too young to drive or buy a drink in a bar – let alone vote, has become the face of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Already a veteran activist, Wong got his start in 2011, when he and fellow students founded a group called "Scholarism." And this past week, he played a pivotal role in setting off the protests.
While China calls him an "extremist," a party document on national security identifies him by name as a threat to internal stability, Wong, who is trying to lead his country through a social revolution movement, has had an immediate impact on Hong Kong politics.
Wong, who comes across as a hybrid of a solemn politician and a bashful teenage sensation, with his defiant statements on the protests, have catapulted into the media spotlight.
According to Chen Yun-chung, an associate professor of cultural studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, Wong and his generation of high school activists, combining idealism and organisational skills, had outflanked both the government and the older, more cautious generations of democrats in Hong Kong.
While Wong represents a "culture of resistance that is idealistic and very persistent among the high school students," few expected him to have such an impact on events this past week.
Wong was held by police for more than 40 hours until Sunday evening, when he was released "unconditionally," after the city's high court approved an application filed by his lawyers.
Wong, who has said that he acquired his passion for politics from his parents, said he has no plans to leave Hong Kong to study overseas, even if he were offered the opportunity to.
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