Szeto Wah

Szeto Wah 司徒華
Szeto Wah at the 21st anniversary candlelight vigil in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Chairman of Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union
In office 1974–1990
Preceded by	New title
Succeeded by	Cheung Man-kwong
Chairman of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China
In office 21 May 1989 – 2 January 2011
Preceded by	New title
Succeeded by	Lee Cheuk Yan
Member of the Legislative Council
In office 26 September 1985 – 12 September 1991
Preceded by	New title
Succeeded by	Cheung Man-kwong
Constituency	Teaching
Majority	68.64% (1985) Unopposed (1988)
In office 12 September 1991 – 30 June 1997
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Replaced by Provisional Legislative Council
Constituency	Kowloon East
Majority	37.83% (1991) 55.40% (1995)
In office 1 July 1998 – 30 September 2004
Preceded by	New Parliament
Succeeded by	Albert Cheng
Constituency	Kowloon East
Majority	33.33% (1998) 25.00% (2000)
Personal details
Born	(1931-02-28)28 February 1931 Hong Kong
Died	2 January 2011(2011-01-02) (aged 79) Hong Kong
Nationality	Chinese
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	singled; not married
Alma mater	Queen's College, Hong Kong Grantham College of Education
Profession	Teacher Politician
Religion	Christianity
Signature
Website	http://www.szetowah.org.hk

Szeto Wah (Chinese: 司徒華; 28 February 1931 – 2 January 2011) was a politician of the pan-democracy camp of Hong Kong. He was formerly the chairman of The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China and a member of the Legislative Council from 1985 to 1997 and 1998 to 2004.

Although the Hong Kong government prior to as well as after the British handover shunned him for his opposition to their policies, Szeto was admired in Hong Kong politics for his strong principles, for eschewing personal gain, and for his rare political acumen. According to commentator Stephen Vines, the Chinese central government appointed Szeto to the Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee because they appreciated his political significance, even though they disliked his ideas.

Aside from his political career, Szeto was also well known for his Chinese calligraphy skills. He was referred to as "Uncle Wah" (華叔) by Hong Kong people.

Szeto Wah was born in Hong Kong in 1931 with ancestry from Kaiping, Guangdong. Ten years later his poor family fled to their ancestral home from Hong Kong due to the Japanese bombing in the 1941 Battle of Hong Kong. He enrolled in Queen's college and graduated from Grantham College of Education. He entered the teaching profession in 1952, and became headmaster of the GCEPSA Kwun Tong Primary School in 1961.

He became a baptized Christian in 1974.

Szeto was a core member of the pro-communist Hok Yau Dancing Club, of which he remained a member until 1958.

In 1973 he led the Hong Kong teacher's strike protest when the government proposed to cut teachers' salaries by 15%. He then founded the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union in 1974. Under his leadership, the HKPTU expanded rapidly and eventually became the most powerful pressure group in the late 70s to 80s. Szeto stepped down from the union president in 1990.