Michael Mo

Profile

Born and raised in Hong Kong, I have been a University of Leeds Sanctuary Scholar since 2022. I have had a decade-long involvement in politics, activism, civil society networks and social movements in Hong Kong and across East and Southeast Asia.

As a full-time research head at a Hong Kong-based policy research institute in the early 2010s, I led and co-published reports on democratisation and constitutional reform proposals and the performance of local councillors. I also co-edited books on poverty alleviation and competition law. After this, I served as a campaigner at Amnesty International in Hong Kong, focusing on protecting freedom of expression and assembly in Hong Kong and Asia.   

With an interest in electoral campaigns, I have observed election campaign planning and management in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong since 2010. I was also a columnist and commentator in several Hong Kong media and occasionally contributed articles to newspapers and magazines in Taiwan. My opinion pieces have also been on DW, The Diplomat and JURIST.

Before joining the University of Leeds, I was the elected local councillor in Hong Kong. I had an initiative with other former local councillors to assist Hongkongers who are newly residing in Scotland better integrate into the nation.

Thesis

• Mo, M. 2024. Hong Kong pro-democracy 35 plus movement: How different types of polarisation shaped the deliberations.[Online] Thesis. Available from: https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/35219/.

Research involved       

• Mo, M. (2024). Four years on: Hong Kong after the National Security Law. 2024th ed. [online] London: Council on Geostrategy. Available at: https://www.geostrategy.org.uk/app/uploads/2024/07/2024.21.Four-years-on_-Hong-Kong-after-the-National-Security-Law.pdf.

• Community Development Initiative 2012. Hong Kong’s New Media and Social Movements (Chinese: 香港新媒體與社會運動研究) 

• Community Development Initiative 2011. District Councillor Activeness Report 2011 [Online] (Chinese: 2011年區議會議員活躍度報告). Available from: https://www.cdiorg.hk/2011-10-27-cdi-dc2011/.

• Community Development Initiative, The Business and Professionals Federation of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Foresight Centre 2010. The Unavoidable Social Change and the Avoidable Impact on the Elderly Our Ageing Society and the Deficiencies of the Systems.

Co-edited books        

• Law, C., Mo, M., Tang, K., Leung, T., Cautherley, G. and Wong, O.Y. 2012. Implication and Policy Recommendations for the Competition Law in Hong Kong. (Chinese: 香港《競爭條例》解讀及政策建議 ). Hong Kong: iRead. ISBN:9881720141
• Think Tanks on Poverty Alleviation 2012. Poverty Alleviation: The Way Forward: Evaluating the Problems of Poverty and the Strategy of Alleviation. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Council of Social Services (Chinese: 扶貧政策何去何從 : 探討香港貧窮問題及扶貧策略). Hong Kong: iRead ISBN: 9881720133 

UN NGO submissions involved

• The Hong Kong Scots CIC 2023a. Submission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [Online]. Geneva: Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Economic and Social Council, United Nations. Available from: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2FCESCR%2FICO%2FGBR%2F51096&Lang=en. 
• The Hong Kong Scots CIC 2023b. Submission of The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of People’s Republic of China on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights [Online]. Geneva: Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Economic and Social Council, United Nations. Available from: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2FCESCR%2FCSS%2FHKG%2F51291&Lang=en. 
• The Hong Kong Scots CIC 2022. Inputs for a report on cultural rights and migration to United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights [Online]. Geneva: Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights. Available from: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/culturalrights/cfi-cultural-rights-and-migration/2023-01-30/HongKongScots-cfi-cultural-rights.docx. 

Selected Op-ed          

• Mo, M. 2023a. Hong Kong’s National Security Law 3 years on – Taiwan should build a defence. Taiwan Insight. [Online]. Available from: https://taiwaninsight.org/2023/10/11/hong-kongs-national-security-law-3-years-on-taiwan-should-build-a-defence/.
• Mo, M. 2023b. How Hong Kong Authorities Are Using National Security Law to Target Dissidents. JURIST. [Online]. Available from: https://www.jurist.org/commentary/2023/09/how-hong-kong-authorities-are-using-national-security-law-to-target-dissidents/ .
• Mo, M. 2022. Hong Kong’s Dismantled Society. The Diplomat. [Online]. Available from: https://thediplomat.com/2022/06/hong-kongs-dismantled-society/ .
• Mo, M. 2021. Hong Kong’s Rigged Election. thediplomat.com. [Online]. Available from: https://thediplomat.com/2021/12/hong-kongs-rigged-election/ .
• Mo, M. 2020. Opinion: Joshua Wong’s imprisonment in Hong Kong is persecution by prosecution. dw.com. [Online]. Available from: https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-joshua-wongs-imprisonment-in-hong-kong-is-persecution-by-prosecution/a-55796285 .

 

Research interests

• Protests, social movements and pro-democracy movements in East and Southeast Asia
• Elections and election campaigns, with a focus on Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong 
• Civil society development and resilience in contentious politics in East and Southeast Asia

Qualifications

• Master of Arts by Research (MRes) in Politics. University of Leeds
• LLM in Human Rights. University of Hong Kong
• BSocSc (Hons) in Policy Studies and Administration. City University of Hong Kong