Elsie Tu

Who is Elsie Tu?

Elsie Tu GBM, CBE, is a social activist, former elected member of the Urban Council of Hong Kong, and former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. She moved to Hong Kong in 1951 following a period as a missionary in China. She became known for her strong antipathy towards colonialism and corruption, as well as for her work for the underprivileged. In the run up to the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China, Tu surprised many by finding favour with the CCP authorities, and taking a seat on the Beijing-controlled Provisional Legislative Council, from December 1996 to June 1998, after failing to win in the 1995 election. In post-1997 Hong Kong, although without a formal public role, Tu has consistently supported the Beijing government, being seen as a mouthpiece of CCP, especially on contentious issues, to the disappointment of democracy advocates.