Two organizers of Hong Kong’s long-running vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre yesterday pleaded not guilty, while a third pleaded guilty before the trial, which was brought under China-imposed national security legislation that has largely erased dissent in the territory.
Chow Hang-tung (鄒幸彤), Lee Cheuk-yan (李卓人) and Albert Ho (何俊仁), former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were charged with inciting subversion in September 2021 under Hong Kong’s National Security Law.
Prosecutors allege that “ending one-party rule,” what the group had long called for, was against China’s constitution.
Photo: AFP
Lee and Chow pleaded not guilty and a hearing for arguments over defense witnesses was scheduled to resume today. They face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Ho entered a guilty plea and was convicted by Judge Alex Lee (李運騰), who said that the court would handle his plea for a lighter sentence after the trial, which is expected to last 75 days.
The alliance’s call meant ending the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership and that goal opposed the constitution, prosecutor Ned Lai (黎嘉誼) said yesterday.
The alliance promoted that call through different channels, including by operating a museum about the 1989 massacre and hosting activities, Lai said.
After Hong Kong’s security law took effect, Ho stated that he would press on with calls for “a democratic China” and “ending one-party rule,” Lai said.
The trio of defendants, who were at the heart of the alliance’s work, “personally or through the alliance, declared they would persist with the relevant illegal goal of subverting state power and their actions,” Lai said.
In an opening statement that was published online, the prosecution said the alliance had promoted its position through discussion of the “June 4th incident,” referring to the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and negative content targeting China, although specific plans or means to achieve their “unlawful” aim might not have been mentioned by the defendants.
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