Hong Kong Activists Convicted in National Security Case

Two prominent former organizers of Hong Kong’s long-standing vigil for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were convicted on Friday under a national security law imposed by China. This law has severely impacted Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, faced charges in 2021 for inciting subversion. Both had pleaded not guilty and now face a potential 10-year prison sentence. The alliance itself was also found guilty.

This conviction marks a significant moment in the continued dismantling of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activities by Hong Kong and Chinese authorities. For three decades, the alliance organized a candlelight vigil, drawing tens of thousands in memory of the Tiananmen Square events. However, the event faced a ban in 2020 amid the pandemic, just before China enforced the national security law to curb widespread anti-government protests.

Many observers interpret this trial as a sign of the declining freedom of expression in Hong Kong since the territory returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Lee, 69, and Chow, 41, remain imprisoned since their charges in 2021. Their sentencing is pending.

A representative from the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, Eric Lai, noted that inciting subversion charges are frequently used in mainland China against human rights lawyers and activists. He likened the court’s actions to state-controlled judiciary practices in mainland China.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that the case was not politically motivated but focused on the alliance’s alleged calls to overthrow China’s Communist Party leadership. Lee, however, defended that their calls aimed for democratic reforms, allowing public choice of leadership, not overthrowing the party. Chow argued in her defense that “ending one-party rule” referred to curbing unrestricted state power.

Chow recounted in a Patreon post the harsh conditions she faced, including being shackled during court transfers. Despite the trial concluding faster than initially expected, with closing statements completed by the 24th day instead of the planned 75, the judgment was awaited by a large public turnout at the court.

Tang Ngok-kwan, a former alliance member, commented that police restricted his court entry for carrying materials related to the Tiananmen commemoration. Another former vigil participant, Margaret Chan, questioned the logic behind accusations of inciting when the alliance’s purpose was patriotic.

The Tiananmen crackdown in 1989 resulted in hundreds, possibly thousands, of deaths and marked a turning point in China’s commitment to economic reforms without political liberalization. Since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, efforts to commemorate the crackdown in Hong Kong have been overshadowed by pro-Beijing activities.