HONG KONG—For scores of Hong Kong democrats, this year’s legislative elections were supposed to be a landmark moment for the movement in the face of what they saw as Beijing’s increasing encroachment on Hong Kong’s way of life. Democrats thought they would win a majority that would give them a strong say in the future of the former British colony. But instead of holding rallies for the upcoming election, many are now detained and awaiting trial, living a daily prison routine. Others have fled their homeland. “Everything happened so fast,” said Sunny Cheung, 25, an activist who is seeking asylum in the United States to avoid prosecution. “One year later, there are hardly any real democrats left. They are either in jail or in exile.” “This is the reason we must stick to our principles and not forget our history, especially when many leading democrats sacrificed their freedom and are …