Hong Kong Court Convicts Two Activists on National Security Charges

A Hong Kong court on August 20 convicted two pro-democracy activists on national security charges, in a trial seen as evidence of the city’s eroding freedom of speech.

Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were found guilty of “subversion” for their roles in organizing candlelight vigils commemorating the 1989 crackdown in Beijing. Both pleaded not guilty and have been prosecuted since 2021.

The defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Sentencing is expected at a later date. Prosecutors argued that both “endangered national security under the guise of human rights.” Chow, a human rights lawyer who defended herself, told the court in May that it was the law itself on trial.

Friday’s ruling “came as no surprise,” according to Mark Clifford, chair of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong. He said Hong Kong’s “skewed” judicial system had already decided both were guilty since 2021. He described Lee and Chow as “genuine Chinese patriots” silenced for “speaking truth to power” and “holding up a mirror” to the Chinese Communist Party.

The Crackdown in Hong Kong

For three decades, the candlelight vigil organized by the alliance was the only large-scale public event commemorating the 1989 events, drawing tens of thousands of attendees each year. It was banned in 2020 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, weeks before Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong to quell major anti-government protests in 2019. Alliance leaders have been detained since their prosecution.

Chow and Lee “expose the Chinese government’s fear of memories of its own atrocities,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, urging governments worldwide to hold Beijing accountable for eroding Hong Kong’s freedoms. Earlier this year, Jimmy Lai, 78, a prominent Hong Kong media tycoon and rights activist, was convicted on national security charges and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Led “Like a Dog on a Leash”

In a personal blog posted days before the verdict, Chow described in detail her supervised release, during which she said she was led “like a dog on a leash,” with locks on her hands, waist, and ankles. She described a new restraint method with specialized cuffs causing significant pain during prolonged detention: “One can only 'choose' which part of the body bears the pain in turn” due to body postures forced by the restraints.

Chow is one of the few prominent political prisoners held in Hong Kong who continues to speak out publicly against the authorities. In June 1989, the Chinese government sent tanks and troops to suppress a pro-democracy movement at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Hundreds, possibly thousands, were killed, and many were injured. Beijing has since sought to censor any mention of the event in China.