Wu Wenyuan
Avery Ng Man‐Yuen (born 27 December 1976), nicknamed “The General,” [1]secretary‑general of the League of Social Democrats, active in social movements and the Pan‑Democratic camp.[2] Known for his mild speech yet frequent acts of civil disobedience, the media have dubbed him the “gentle version of ‘Long Hair’ Leung Kwok‑hung.”[3]
Early life
Ng grew up in Sham Shui Po and attended Tak Sun Primary School. He then studied at St Stephen’s College until age 13, when his family emigrated to New Zealand. He graduated from Auckland Grammar School and the University of Melbourne with dual degrees (BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering, BSc in Actuarial Science & Financial Management). He worked as a strategy consultant in Australia before enrolling at London Business School for an MBA, which he left incomplete to seize career opportunities in the Asia‑Pacific region.
From business to politics
An avid skier, waterskier, photographer, and traveller, Ng spent six months exploring all the countries of South America in 2003. His experiences there and later work across Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States led him to abandon a lucrative corporate career. In 2008 he returned to Hong Kong and joined the League of Social Democrats to pursue democratic and social change through civil disobedience.[4]
Political beliefs
Ng identifies with social democracy, advocating fair resource distribution, social welfare, and equality as foundations for healthy cultural, social, and economic development.
Activism and candidacies
Hu visit protest arrest
On 30 June 2012, Ng and fellow LSD member Ma Yun‑kei were arrested during a protest against Chinese leader Hu Jintao’s visit. They were released the next day.
Now TV forum incident
As a candidate for Hong Kong Island in the 2012 LegCo election, Ng questioned former officials at a Now TV forum, famously prompting well‑known ripostes.
Complaint against Leung Chun‑ying
On 28 June 2012, Ng filed a complaint with the ICAC accusing Chief Executive Leung Chun‑ying of making false statements about his property.
Umbrella Movement
Ng returned from the UK in October 2014 to join the Umbrella Movement occupations in Admiralty and Mong Kok, where he was injured during police clearance operations.
Legislative Council elections
Ng ran in Hong Kong Island in 2012 (3 169 votes, 0.96%) and in Kowloon West in 2016 (6 811 votes, 2.44%), but was not elected.
“Stinky fish sandwich” case
On 4 September 2016, Ng threw a stinky fish sandwich at Chief Executive Leung Chun‑ying on LegCo election day. Convicted of assaulting a police officer, he was sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment in October 2017 (bail HK$1 000 pending appeal). His conviction was overturned on appeal in March 2019 but the Department of Justice’s application to appeal to the Court of Final Appeal was dismissed in August 2019.
“Unauthorized assembly” protest case
In July 2018, Ng and others were charged over a June 2016 protest against Beijing’s interpretive ruling. Proceedings began in Magistrates’ Court, with charges of inciting public disorder and unlawful assembly.
ICAC confidentiality breach case
In April 2017, Ng was arrested and charged under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance for disclosing identities of persons under ICAC investigation. In May 2018 he was convicted and sentenced to four months’ imprisonment (bail granted). His appeal to the High Court was dismissed in June 2019; bail pending final appeal was granted in July 2019. In February 2020 the Court of Final Appeal refused leave to appeal, and Ng must serve the remaining 31 days of his sentence.
April 18, 2020 arrests
On 18 April 2020, Ng and 14 other pro‑democracy figures (including Claudia Mo, Raymond Wong, Claudia Mo, Lau Siu‑ling, Tanya Chan, and Martin Lee) were arrested for participating in unauthorized assemblies in August and October 2019. They appeared at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court on 18 May 2020 and were granted bail of HK$1 000 each.
References
External links
- Official website: https://manyuen.hk (archived)
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manyuen.ng
- Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Ng.ManYuen (archived)