Hong Kong on Saturday banned pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow from running in upcoming elections in a move widely seen as political interference from China.

China has increased pressure on Hong Kong authorities to quash any attempts to further independence from the mainland as it seeks to tighten its grip on the semi-autonomous city.

Read more: Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong jailed over 2014 pro-democracy protests

'Future of Hong Kong'

Agnes Chow is a 21-year-old pro-democracy activist and former leader of the Umbrella Movement that rallied for democratic reforms in 2014.

In a press conference, Chow said the Demosisto party "never had a pro-independence stance," but instead called for the "right to self-determination on the future of Hong Kong."

Chow was contesting a seat in Hong Kong's parliament as part of by-elections that were triggered in the wake of six lawmakers protesting while taking their oaths of office in 2016.

If Chow had successfully contested her seat, she would have become Hong Kong's youngest lawmaker.

Since the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, Agnes Chow has campaigned for reforms that would give Hong Kong's citizens more rights in choosing their leaders

In their own words

The Hong Kong government cited the Demosisto party platform as its main reason for barring Chow, saying: "Self-determination or changing the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administration Region) system by referendum which includes the choice of independence is inconsistent with the constitutional and legal status of the HKSAR as stipulated in the Basic Law."

But Chow hit back at the government's decision, saying" Our political freedom should be well protected under the legal system of Hong Kong. The decision to disqualify my candidacy means that the political rights are being handicapped."

The Demosisto party accused the government of retribution for pro-democracy protests in 2014, describing the ban as "payback against an entire generation."

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 1997: Historic moment The handover of Hong Kong's sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place on July 1, 1997. The territory on China's Pearl River Delta became a British colony in 1842 and was occupied by Japan during World War II. After Hong Kong's return to China, the political situation was described as "one country, two systems."

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 1999: No family reunions Divided families, who had been split by the Hong Kong border, had hoped to be reunited after the territory's return to China. But with a daily quota of only 150 mainland Chinese allowed to settle in Hong Kong, many were left disapointed. This photo from 1999 shows mainland Chinese visitors protesting outside Hong Kong's Legal Aid Department after they were denied residency permits.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2002: Dashed hopes The residency issue flared up again in April 2002 when Hong Kong began deporting some 4,000 mainland Chinese who had lost legal battles to stay in the territory. These desperate families were evicted from a central park where they had been protesting.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2003: The SARS pandemic hits In 2003, the highly contagious SARS virus spread through Hong Kong. The territory was hard hit by the flu-like virus and in March, the WHO declared it a pandemic. This man attended Doctor Tse Yuen-man's funeral in May. Dr. Tse had volunteered to care for SARS patients and had contracted the virus herself. Hong Kong was declared SARS-free in June 2003. Almost 300 people had died of the disease.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2004: Rally for democracy China's policy of "one country, two systems" has often created tension. In 2004, on the seventh anniversary of the handover, hundreds of thousands of people protested in Hong Kong, demanding political reform. They were calling for democracy and direct elections for Hong Kong's next leader.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2008: No place to live Soaring property prices in Hong Kong forced rents higher. By 2008, it wasn't unusual to see people like Kong Siu-kau living in so-called "cage homes," 15-square-foot (1.4 square meters) wire mesh cubicles, eight of which were usually crammed into one room. Today an estimated 200,000 people call a wire cage, or a single bed in a shared apartment, home.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2009: Remembering Tiananmen Square On the twentieth anniversary of the government's brutal crackdown in Tiananmen Square, Hong Kong residents gathered for a candlelight vigil in Victoria Park. It showed how different Hong Kong is from China, where the massacre of pro-democracy supporters and students on June 4, 1989, is usually only referred to as the June Fourth Incident.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2014: Occupy Central Starting in September 2014, large-scale protests demanding more autonomy rocked Hong Kong for over two months. Beijing had announced that China would decide on the candidates for the 2017 election of Hong Kong's chief executive. The protests were referred to as the Umbrella Revolution, because protesters used umbrellas to fend off pepper spray and tear gas used by police.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2015: Sport becomes political Less than a year after the Occupy Central protests ended, China played against Hong Kong in a soccer World Cup qualifiying match on November 17, 2015. The guests did not receive a friendly welcome in Hong Kong. Fans booed when the Chinese national anthem was played and held up posters saying "Hong Kong is not China." The match ended 0-0.

Hong Kong's 20-year history since handover 2016: Another bout of violence In February 2016, Hong Kong's rough police tactics made headlines again. Authorities tried to remove illegal street vendors from a working-class Hong Kong neighborhood. They sent riot police, who used batons and pepper spray against protesters, and also fired live warning shots into the air. The street clashes were the worst since the Umbrella Revolution in 2014. Author: Carla Bleiker



Is Hong Kong part of China: In short, yes. Following British rule, Hong Kong was turned over to Beijing under a "one country, two systems" arrangement settled in 1997. The agreement allowed Hong Kong to retain substantial autonomy, with the promise of eventual universal suffrage.

Read more: Hong Kong's 20 years under Chinese rule: A failed project?

Have other pro-democracy activists been targeted: Yes. Earlier this week, Joshua Wong, who helped lead the Umbrella Movement, was jailed for playing a "lead role" in the pro-democracy protests in 2014.

What happens next: It is unclear whether the Demosisto party or Chow can launch an appeal against the government's decision.



In 2014, thousands took to the streets to demand the right to choose Hong Kong's executive

ls/rc (Reuters, AFP, AP)