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Raymond Chan Chi-chuen

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For other people with similar names, see Ray Chan and Ray Chen.

In this Hong Kong name, the surname is Chan (陳). In accordance with Hong Kong custom, the Western-style name is Raymond Chan and the Chinese-style name is Chan Chi-chuen.
Raymond Chan Chi-chuen
陳志全
Chan Chi-chuen in 2018
Chairman of People Power
In office
10 September 2016 – 2 May 2021
Preceded byErica Yuen
Succeeded byLeung Ka-shing
Member of the Legislative Council
In office
1 October 2012 – 30 September 2020
Preceded byWong Sing-chi
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyNew Territories East
Personal details
Born (1972-04-16) 16 April 1972 (age 52)
Hong Kong
Political partyPeople Power (2011–2021)
Spouse
Francis
​
(m. 2021)​
Residence(s)Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong
Alma materChinese University of Hong Kong (BSocSc in Sociology)
OccupationPresenter
Radio commentator
Politician
Signature
Raymond Chan Chi-chuen
Traditional Chinese陳志全
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinChén Zhìquán
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationChàhn Ji chyùhn
JyutpingCan4 Zi3 cyun4

Raymond Chan Chi-chuen (born 16 April 1972 in Hong Kong, Chinese: 陳志全), also called Slow Beat (慢必) in his radio career, is a former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (representing the New Territories East constituency), presenter and former chief executive officer of Hong Kong Reporter.

Chan is the first openly gay legislator in Hong Kong and East Asia.[1][2][3][4] He resigned from the Legislative Council on 28 September 2020, citing that he would not serve in an "appointed legislature" after Beijing had extended the legislators' terms by a year.[5] Chan, along with most other pro-democracy politicians in Hong Kong, is currently imprisoned.

Career

[edit]

Chan graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1994 with a Bachelor of Social Science degree in Sociology.

In the early 1990s, under the stage name Slow Beat, he teamed up with Tam Tak-chi (aka Fast Beat) hosting a radio show on Commercial Radio Hong Kong known as Fast Slow Beats with help from Winnie Yu. The duo gained popularity when they hosted Challengers of Fire on Asia Television in 1997, but left the show one year later. They remained partners after joining Metro Showbiz in 2000 until Chan quit his career as radio host in 2007. He then spent one year practicing Buddhism in Japan. He returned as radio host at Internet radio station Hong Kong Reporter in 2010 and was named its chief executive officer in 2011.

Ray Chan is a Buddhist. In early 2009, he was a Buddhist monk in a Japanese temple, and he can read some fundamental Sanskrit.[6]

In September 2010, along with several fellow hosts of Hong Kong Reporter, Chan became a co-founder and deputy spokesperson[7] of political group Power Voters (later part of People Power), whose objective was to oppose the Democratic Party in 2011 district council elections. Chan failed to challenge Democrat Lee Wing-tat in Lai Wah of Kwai Tsing District Council.

In 2012, he teamed up with Erica Yuen in running for the Legislative Council election and was ultimately elected.[8] After the election, he came out as a gay[9][10] man and voiced his support for LGBT rights in Hong Kong, including the legislation of the Sexual Orientation Discrimination Ordinance.

With the successful strategic voting among the pro-democracy voters, Chan was one of the five non-establishment candidates to be re-elected in the 2016 election with 45,993 votes.[11] In the 2017 Chief Executive election, he supported radical legislator Leung Kwok-hung of the League of Social Democrats (LSD) to run for the Chief Executive through an unofficial civil petition, despite the mainstream pro-democrats backing former Financial Secretary John Tsang.[12]

On 4 June, in an attempt to disrupt the third reading of the National Anthem Bill at the Legislative Council, Chan and fellow lawmaker, Eddie Chu, attempted to disperse pungent liquid towards the President of the Legislative Council, Andrew Leung. They were stopped before they could reach the rostrum; Chan dropped the liquid and a lantern on the floor.[13][14] On 16 June, Legislative Council president Leung announced that Chan and Chu would be fined roughly HK$100,000 each for their actions. Chu declared the same day that he and Chan would examine and possibly challenge the decision.[13]

Chan resigned from the Legislative Council on 28 September 2020, citing that he would not serve in an "appointed legislature". Prior to his resignation, the Legislative Council term had been extended, upon authorization by the central government on request of the Hong Kong government, by a year in order to resolve the limbo that had been created by the postponement of the 2020 legislative election.[5]

In a brief statement issued through his sister on 2 May 2021, Chan, who was in jail at that time, announced that he was quitting People Power and withdrawing from politics.[15]

Arrests

[edit]

Chan was arrested on 1 November 2020, along with six other democrats, in connection with a melee that had broken out in the LegCo on 8 May 2020.[16]

On 6 January 2021, Chan was among 53 members of the pro-democratic camp who were arrested under the national security law, specifically its provision regarding alleged subversion. The group stood accused of the organisation of and participation in unofficial primary elections held by the camp in July 2020.[17] Chan was briefly released on bail on 7 January,[18] but returned to custody on 28 February along with most others charged.

On 16 September 2021, Chan was released on bail after his application granted by High Court judge Esther Toh.[19] On 2 November, High Court judge Esther Toh upheld her decision to grant bail to Chan, because he had a history of cooperating with the government during his time in the legislature, that he had been named by LegCo president Andrew Leung as the most diligent lawmaker, and that he had previously supported some government bills.[20][21]

On 30 May 2024, Chan was found guilty of subversion in the primaries case, along with 13 other defendants.[22][23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Hong Kong sees its first out gay politician". Gay Star News. 11 September 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Gay lawmaker makes rights pledge". The Standard. Hong Kong. 12 September 2012. p. 6. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014.
  3. ^ Tsang, Emily (12 September 2012). "Raymond Chan hailed by gay community". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. p. 3.
  4. ^ "Gay rights takes step from closet". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. 13 September 2012. p. 14.
  5. ^ a b Wong, Natalie (28 September 2020). "Two Hong Kong opposition lawmakers announce exit from Legislative Council as result of 'stay-or-go' poll looms". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. ^ "珠 海 新 聞". jcchuhainews.chuhai.edu.hk. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Legislative Council LC Paper No. CB(1)1225/10-11" (PDF). Legislative Council of Hong Kong. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  8. ^ Li, Joseph (31 July 2012). "Court tosses opposition challenge over CE election". China Daily. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  9. ^ "廖啟智19歲兒子易服 自稱廢青同志 – HKChannel".
  10. ^ "娱乐频道_凤凰网". ent.ifeng.com. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Results". 2016 Legislative Council Election. Registration and Electoral Office. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  12. ^ "'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung enters chief executive race, urging allies not to vote for 'lesser evils'". South China Morning Post. 8 February 2017.
  13. ^ a b Wong, Rachel (16 June 2020). "Hong Kong democrats fined for throwing odorous objects during national anthem bill meetings". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  14. ^ "陳志全朱凱廸衝主席台掟「臭蟲」 警員消防到場搜證". on.cc東網 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  15. ^ Ng, Kang-chung (2 May 2021). "Former Hong Kong lawmaker Raymond Chan announces he is quitting politics". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  16. ^ Ho, Kelly (1 November 2020). "Hong Kong police arrest 7 democrats in connection with chaos during May legislative meeting". Hong Kong Free Press. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  17. ^ "National security law: Hong Kong rounds up 53 pro-democracy activists". BBC News. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  18. ^ 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. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  19. ^ ""Slow Beat" Raymond Chan Chi-chuen granted bail". The Standard. 16 September 2020.
  20. ^ "Hong Kong judge cites localist group ex-leader's record as lawmaker in granting bail". South China Morning Post. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  21. ^ "【初選47人案】陳志全獲保釋 判詞指梁君彥大讚勤力有建設 | 獨媒報導". 獨立媒體. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  22. ^ Pang, Jessie; Pomfret, James (30 May 2024). "'Hong Kong 47' trial: 14 democrats found guilty in landmark subversion case". Reuters. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Who are the 16 Hong Kong democrats awaiting verdict in the city's largest national security trial?". Hong Kong Free Press. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
[edit]
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Preceded by Member of Legislative Council
Representative for New Territories East
2012–2020 		Constituency abolished
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairman of People Power
2016–2021 		Succeeded by
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