Protesters make their mark outside Central Government Offices.Almost one in three people in Hong Kong are unhappy with society, with those aged 20 to 24 being the most dissatisfied, according to a survey by a local think tank.
The findings by the Hong Kong Ideas Centre were released before the government is due to unveil its political reform proposals to the Legislative Council later this month. The centre surveyed 1,505 people aged between 15 and 39, with up to 30 per cent saying they are dissatisfied with society.
Of the respondents aged 20 to 24, 42.7 per cent said society needs to change. This age group played a key role in last year's Occupy Central movement, which called for greater democracy.
Although more than 80 per cent of the respondents agreed that it is a civil responsibility to obey the law, 38 per cent said they supported civil disobedience in the pursuit of justice. This number rose to 47 per cent for 20- to 24-year-olds.
When asked about Occupy Central, 38 per cent supported it and 30 per cent were against it. Some 25 per cent said they would join a new Occupy movement, with 40 per cent saying they weren't sure.
"The survey shows the increasing level of political awareness among the younger generation," said student leader, Joshua Wong Chi-fung. "If pan-democrats change their stance in next week's vote on political reform, they will lose the support and confidence of this group."
But most young people responding to the survey cited housing, not politics, as their main area of grievance.
Thirty-eight per cent of respondents aren't happy with soaring rents and housing prices, and 28 per cent think the city needs more public housing.