Tat Cheng
鄭達鴻
Cheng in 2020
Member of the Eastern District Council
In office
1 January 2016 – 11 May 2021
Preceded byDesmond Lee
ConstituencyTanner
Personal details
Born (1988-10-20) 20 October 1988
British Hong Kong
CitizenshipHong Kong
Political partyCivic Party
ResidenceHong Kong
Alma materCity University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Tat Cheng
Traditional Chinese鄭達鴻

Cheng Tat-hung (Chinese: 鄭達鴻; born 20 October 1988), known as Tat Cheng, is a Hong Kong politician, formerly affiliated with the Civic Party.[1] He was a member of Eastern District Council for Tanner from 2016 to 2021.[2][3]

Education

Cheng was educated at Cheung Chuk Shan College and St. Stephen's College. He graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University with a bachelor's degree in Social Policy and Administration.[4] In 2016, he began studying for a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) degree at the City University of Hong Kong (CUHK).[5] Cheng's legal studies were concurrent with his duties as an active district councillor. According to Cheng, his intent for pursuing the doctoral degree was to equip himself with legal knowledge and earn the trust of his constituents.[6]

In 2018, Cheng completed his studies and graduated from the program with the JD designation.[7] In the following year, he began pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in Laws at CUHK. This program allows graduates to qualify for representation as a barrister or solicitor in Hong Kong.[8] Cheng reiterated the value of legal knowledge after the 2019-20 Hong Kong protests commenced, stating that it can help protesters with obtaining bail and navigating the judicial process.[9]

Political career

Civic Party

As a university student, Cheng had a two-month internship with the pan-democrat Civic Party in 2011.[10] After graduation, he officially joined the political party in late 2012.[9] Cheng became the chairman of the party's youth-oriented section, known as the "Young Civics", in 2014.[11] He was the vice secretary-general of the party between 2016 and 2018.[12]

During his tenure with the Civic Party, Cheng was involved in community outreach initiatives within North Point.[10] He also made guest appearances on City Forum to give speeches and discuss local politics.[13] Cheng participated in the 2016 Legislative Council election as the second candidate for Tanya Chan. Their ticket came in sixth place, thus securing Chan a seat in the Legislative Council.[14]

On 15 December 2020, Cheng announced his resignation from the Civic Party after eight years of tenure.[15][16]

District Council

In the 2015 District Council election, Cheng ran in Tanner constituency, previously held by veteran politician Desmond Lee. His opponent was Tsang Cheuk-yi from the pro-Beijing Liberal Party, who had the backing of Lee.[17] Cheng won the seat with 53.4% of the vote, becoming the only pro-democracy Eastern District Councillor in North Point.[2][18]

Cheng was challenged by Tsang again for his district council seat in 2019. Cheng formed a pro-democracy alliance with other candidates in North Point and Fortress Hill, aiming to contest pro-establishment seats in the election.[19][20] On 25 November, he was re-elected with 57.65% of the vote.[3] His pro-democracy alliance won six of the seven seats they contested, amid the landslide democrat success Hong Kong-wide.[21]

Legislative Council bid

In the 2020 Legislative Council election, Cheng was nominated by the Civic Party to run in the Hong Kong Island constituency.[22] He replaced incumbent Tanya Chan, who was barred from running due to her suspended sentence over the 2014 Occupy protests.[23] In the pro-democracy primaries in July 2020, Cheng took fourth place, behind Ted Hui, Tiffany Yuen, and Fergus Leung. His 11,090 votes (12.26% of the electorate) secured him a nomination spot in the legislative election.[12]

On 25 July, Cheng fielded a series of questions from electoral officers, which challenged his eligibility in the upcoming election.[24][25] He was given 24 hours to clarify his stance on the national security law, as well as his views on international sanctions and allegiance to the Hong Kong Basic Law.[26][27] Civic Party members Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok, and Kwok Ka-ki, along with other pro-democracy candidates, faced similar questioning.[28] The next day, Cheng issued his response before the mandated deadline.[29]

On 30 July, it was announced that Cheng had been disqualified from running in the election.[30] His colleagues from the Civic Party and other candidates from the pro-democracy camp were also disqualified.[31] Following his resignation from the Civic Party in December, Cheng said that he would not be able to participate in the rescheduled 2021 Hong Kong legislative election unless the political landscape changed drastically.[32]

Arrest and trial under National Security Law

On 6 January 2021, Cheng was among 53 members of the pro-democratic camp arrested under the national security law, specifically its provision regarding alleged subversion. The group stood accused of organising and participating in unofficial primary elections held by the camp in July 2020.[33] Cheng was released on bail on 7 January.[34]

In February 2021, Cheng was charged with subversion and rearrested along with 46 other activists and politicians. He was one of only three granted bail in the case on 13 March 2021.[35] On 1 April 2021, High Court judge Esther Toh explained her rationale for upholding Cheng's bail application. While the prosecution had accused Cheng of taking part in the primaries with the ultimate aim of "removing Carrie Lam from office" and that he had expressed similar positions during a video forum that "may have been understood as calling for foreign interference", Toh understood that Cheng had renounced his political activism by stepping down from his position in the Civic Party and that he had a limited political influence at the time of the appeal against his bail, with a "very-low risk of reoffending."[36]

The high profile trial of 47 democrats began on 6 February 2023, with 16 pleading not guilty.[37] On 15 June, Cheng became the first defendant to testify.[38]

References

  1. ↑ "Cheng Tat Hung | 公民黨 - 公道自在民心 Civic Party - The Civic Way, The Fairer Way". www.civicparty.hk. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  2. 1 2 "2015 District Councils Election - Election Results". www.elections.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  3. 1 2 "2019 District Councils Election - Election Results (Eastern)". www.elections.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  4. ↑ "CHENG Tat Hung | 公民黨 - 公道自在民心 Civic Party - The Civic Way, The Fairer Way". www.civicparty.hk. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  5. ↑ "【立會選戰】公民黨港島接班有危機？鄭達鴻拒被抬轎：「俾我自己嚟一次」 | 獨媒報導". 香港獨立媒體網. 7 July 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  6. ↑ 吳倬安 (2018-08-25). "【政壇諸事町】男神戴四方帽 鄭達鴻苦讀兩年 取得法律博士學位". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  7. ↑ "政情：法律博士暫唔執業 鄭達鴻寧搞政治". 東方日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  8. ↑ 吳倬安 (2019-09-28). "【區議會選舉2019】六素人搶攻北角建制堡壘 盼平反北角負面印象". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  9. 1 2 "【抗暴一年】法律界新丁也參政 多線發展光復法治". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  10. 1 2 "【地區政治系列】公民黨新星決以專業打進蛇齋餠糭腹地——專訪鄭達鴻 | 獨媒報導". 香港獨立媒體網. Archived from the original on 2020-07-08. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  11. ↑ "年輕從政路 — 大坑「美女」區議員 對談 公民黨青年「男神」 | 全文轉載 | 立場新聞". 立場新聞 Stand News. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  12. 1 2 "Hong Kong democrat primaries in full: Young 'localist resistance camp' come out on top". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. 2020-07-16. Archived from the original on 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  13. ↑ "影片名稱：《城市論壇 - 傘後區選‧新舊更替 劍指立會再有所為？" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-10-14. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  14. ↑ "2016 Legislative Council Election - Election Result". www.elections.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  15. ↑ "【退黨潮】立選被 DQ 鄭達鴻 宣佈退出公民黨 指無法改變黨「任何一件事」 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞". 立場新聞 Stand News. Archived from the original on 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  16. ↑ "【區選一年丨DQ4】鄭達鴻退黨前專訪 稱感內疚：用唔到議員身份幫呢場運動 | 獨媒報導". 香港獨立媒體網. Archived from the original on 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  17. ↑ "【港島選戰】田少為曾卓兒站台鄭達鴻：對方財雄勢大會堅持到底". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  18. ↑ Pao, Ming. "建制票倉出線 公民黨鄭達鴻：證選民求變". www.mingpaocanada.com. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  19. ↑ "上屆北角七區自動當選 今屆素人同你選曬佢 | 獨媒報導". 香港獨立媒體網. 8 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-12-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  20. ↑ "【區選光復香港●東區】5素人連同公民黨組「北炮同盟」 出征北角炮台山齊抗警暴". 蘋果日報 (香港). 2019-10-08. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
  21. ↑ "【光復區會】「北炮同盟」年輕人成功拔根 福建幫三大重鎮紅變黃". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  22. ↑ Wong, Rachel (2020-06-11). "Over 30 Hong Kong pro-democracy legislative election hopefuls vow to uphold protest demands". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  23. ↑ "公民黨8人選立會 不戰九西 超區未定". 明報 (香港). 2020-05-31. Archived from the original on 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
  24. ↑ "Hong Kong gov't grills 9 pro-democracy election hopefuls on political stance as candidates prepare for disqualification". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. 2020-07-26. Archived from the original on 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  25. ↑ Submission, Internal (2020-07-27). "China questionnaires fan fears of ban on Hong Kong candidates". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  26. ↑ "眾新聞 | 【選舉主任來信】公民黨4子、梁繼昌、4抗爭派 須回答4大類問題：外國制裁、反國安法、否決議案、港獨". 眾新聞 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  27. ↑ "Poll hopefuls pledge an end to US sanction calls - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  28. ↑ "Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong says no more int'l lobbying as democrats reply to gov't election questions". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  29. ↑ "公民黨四人回覆選舉主任 稱無意尋求外國制裁香港 否決議案與選舉主任無關 | 立場報道 | 立場新聞". 立場新聞 Stand News. Archived from the original on 2020-07-26. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  30. ↑ "Twelve pro-democracy figures barred from Legco poll - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Archived from the original on 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  31. ↑ "Hong Kong bans Joshua Wong and 11 other pro-democracy figures from legislative election". Hong Kong Free Press. 2020-07-30. Archived from the original on 2021-07-04. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  32. ↑ "今年參選立法會被DQ 鄭達鴻退出公民黨 ｜ 蘋果日報". Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  33. ↑ "National security law: Hong Kong rounds up 53 pro-democracy activists". BBC News. 6 January 2021. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  34. ↑ Chau, Candice (8 January 2021). "'Hong Kong has entered a bitter winter,' says primaries organiser as 52 democrats in mass arrest bailed out". Hong Kong Free Press. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  35. ↑ "Court releases three Hong Kong activists on bail in case involving 47". Reuters. 13 March 2021. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  36. ↑ Siu, Jasmine (1 April 2021). "Hong Kong judge explains bail decisions in city's largest national security law case involving 47 politicians and activists". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  37. ↑ Hong Kong 47: City’s largest national security trial begins, as 200 line up for public seats, HKFP by Kelly Ho, 6 February 2023
  38. ↑ Hong Kong 47: Civic Party had no unified stance on using veto against all gov’t bills, ex-DCllr tells court, HKFP by Kelly Ho, 15 June 2023
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