Two individuals who were previously involved in organizing Hong Kong’s annual vigil to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were found guilty on Friday in a national security case under a law imposed by China. The law has effectively suppressed the city’s once vibrant 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, were accused in 2021 of inciting subversion under the national security law. Despite pleading not guilty, they now face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. The alliance itself was also convicted.
According to the three judges presiding over the case, the alliance’s advocacy to “end one-party dictatorship” was interpreted as aiming to overthrow and undermine the leadership status of the ruling Communist Party as opposed to advocating for a return to a multiparty system under the constitution. The judges concluded that persisting with this call after the law’s implementation constituted a breach of the constitution, given that the party’s leadership is a fundamental aspect of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The verdict is one of the latest developments in the crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, which has been significantly curtailed by authorities in both Hong Kong and China.
For three decades, the candlelight vigil organized by the alliance served as a large-scale public event where tens of thousands annually gathered to mourn the victims of the Tiananmen Square incident. However, the event was prohibited in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and shortly before the imposition of the security law by Beijing in response to the 2019 anti-government protests.
The erosion of freedom of expression in Hong Kong has been highlighted by observers during this trial, which they see as indicative of the challenges faced in the former British colony since its handover to China in 1997.
Lee and Chow, who smiled and waved to the public gallery as they left the courtroom, are set to be sentenced at a later date. They are expected to appeal for reduced sentences in the upcoming week, as noted by one of the judges.
The trial, initially scheduled for 75 days, concluded its closing arguments on the 24th day, proceeding faster than anticipated. Despite the guilty verdict, there are plans for Lee and Chow to seek lighter penalties in a subsequent hearing, potentially alongside another defendant, Albert Ho.
Following the conviction, Elizabeth Tang, Lee’s wife, expressed disappointment and frustration, maintaining Lee’s innocence. She criticized the judges for what she perceived as disregarding the defense’s arguments and evidence, indicating a possible appeal in the future.
Supporters of Lee and Chow gathered outside the courthouse, with some expressing doubt about the allegations against them. Tang Ngok-kwan, a former alliance member, highlighted concerns about the potential repercussions of a guilty verdict on the city’s legal framework.
The 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, where hundreds, if not thousands, lost their lives as military forces intervened, remains a pivotal event in modern Chinese history. It marked a turning point where economic reforms diverged from political liberalization in the country.
Amid the changes and restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic, the former vigil location in Hong Kong was replaced by a carnival organized by pro-Beijing groups. The 2020 security law, deemed necessary for the city’s stability by Beijing, has led to the imprisonment of numerous prominent activists, including media mogul Jimmy Lai, and the dissolution of various civil society organizations, including the alliance.
