Beijing has told Hong Kong's last major opposition party to disband, its members say

Five senior members of Hong Kong's Democratic Party, the city's biggest and last remaining major opposition party, say that Chinese officials or middle-men have warned the party to disband or face serious consequences, including possible arrests.

- 

HONG KONG -

The Democratic Party, which was founded three years before Hong Kong's return from British to Chinese rule in 1997, has been the flagship opposition party in the city, uniting democratic forces to push Beijing on democratic reforms and to uphold freedoms in the financial hub.

Amid a years-long national security crackdown by China after pro-democracy protests in 2019, the Democratic Party will hold an extraordinary general meeting on April 13 to seek members' views and possibly pave the way for the group's dissolution.

The group's chairman, Mr Lo Kin-hei, has not given a concrete reason for the likely disbandment, but five senior Democratic Party members told Reuters they had been told in meetings with Chinese officials or individuals linked to Beijing in recent months that the party should disband.

Mr Fred Li, a veteran Democratic Party member and former lawmaker, said a Chinese official had told him this should be done before this December's legislative elections.

"The meaning is that we should be gone by then," he told Reuters. "The message was very direct."

Mr Li declined to identify the individual but said the tone was very different from frequent exchanges he has had with Chinese officials over many years.