[2] He is one of the founders of the Occupy Central with Love and Peace campaign that strove for universal suffrage for the Hong Kong Chief Executive Election in 2017.

Over the years in Mainland China and Hong Kong, he has served various positions in the public services, and set up a number of non-governmental organizations.

In March 2013, Chan, together with Benny Tai and Chu Yiu-ming, initiated the nonviolent civil disobedience campaign “Occupy Central with Love and Peace”, to call for universal suffrage in Hong Kong, which sowed the seeds for the now globally-known Umbrella Movement in 2014.

[4] Chan graduated from Concordia Lutheran Middle School in 1979, and earned a degree of Bachelor of Social Science in Sociology of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1983, and Master of Arts, Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology of Yale University in 1990, 1991 and 1995 respectively.

A healthy democracy requires support from a strong civil society.” Chan has served as a member on the Community Research Sub-committee of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and the Committee on Promoting Acceptance of People Living with HIV/AIDS of the Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS.

In 2002, he co-founded civil society group Hong Kong Democratic Development Network with the Reverend Chu Yiu-ming and others.

On March 27, 2013, Chan, HKU law professor Benny Tai and the Reverend Chu Yiu-ming issued a public statement on “Occupy Central with Love and Peace,” announcing the start of the nonviolent campaign for universal suffrage rights in Hong Kong.

After the end of the Umbrella Movement, in February 2015, Chan said in an interview: “The younger generation understands the difference between genuine and fake universal suffrage, and the moral power of nonviolence, at the same time, their life energy evolved, and seek for more aggressive resistance.