Hong Kong goes to the polls in crunch test for Democrats

Hong Kong

HONG Kong's pro-democracy camp is trying to claw back lost seats in controversial by-elections held Sunday that have exposed the heart of the city's political divide.

The vote comes as China takes a tough line against any challenges to its sovereignty, with high-profile young candidate Agnes Chow barred from standing because her party promotes self-determination for the semi-autonomous city. The atmosphere was tense early Sunday when a small group of people heckled Ms Chow as well as leading pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong and Nathan Law near a polling station, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.