Hong Kong's Tiananmen vigil organisers convicted by court

Hong Kong's Tiananmen vigil organisers convicted by court

A Hong Kong court on Friday, August 21, convicted two key organisers of the city's annual Tiananmen Square massacre vigils of inciting subversion. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were found guilty by a three-judge panel at West Kowloon Court of inciting others to participate in acts by unlawful means to subvert state power.

The defendants were leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The court also found the Alliance itself guilty. Under a national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020, Lee and Chow face a maximum jail term of 10 years. Sentencing will occur at a later date, with mitigation arguments expected next week.

The judges ruled that the duo's calls to end one-party dictatorship aimed to overthrow or undermine the basic system established by the Chinese Constitution. The court stated that the term end carried the meaning of overthrowing and undermining, and that the defendants intentionally encouraged supporters to wait for the right time to achieve this goal through unlawful means.

Lee and Chow have been held in pre-trial custody since their arrest in late 2021. A third activist, former lawmaker Albert Ho, 74, previously pleaded guilty in January and is also awaiting sentencing.

The Defence and Legal Arguments

Chow, a barrister who conducted her own defence, argued that the campaign was about moving toward democracy and urging the party not to enforce a dictatorship. She maintained that the Alliance promoted peaceful protest and did not ask for illegal means. During the trial, Chow stated:

"Speaking the truth has become inciting hatred, seeking justice has become exploiting suffering, limiting power has become violating the constitution, and returning power to the people has become subverting the state,"

Chow Hang-tung, defendant, via Associated Press

Lee similarly told the court that their advocacy was not about ending the party's leadership but about letting the people decide who leads them. In a blog post prior to the verdict, Chow wrote that justice lies in the hearts of the people and that a single verdict is of little consequence.

Government and Police Response

Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police's National Security Department, welcomed the ruling, claiming the Alliance spent years planting seeds of hatred against the central government. Li argued the group used human rights as a shield to inflame emotions.

A government spokesperson previously told CNN that rights and freedoms are protected under the national security law and condemned biased remarks and smears against the city's security efforts.

The Erasure of a Tradition

For decades, Hong Kong served as the only place on Chinese soil where large-scale public commemorations of the June 4, 1989, crackdown were permitted. The annual candlelight vigil in Victoria Park drew tens of thousands of people calling for an end to one-party rule and full democracy for Hong Kong.

This tradition ended following the 2019 pro-democracy protests and the subsequent imposition of the 2020 security law.

The 1989 crackdown, in which tanks were sent to quell student-led protests in Beijing, remains a censored topic in mainland China. While no official death toll exists, estimates range from several hundred to thousands killed.

International and Human Rights Reactions

The verdict drew sharp criticism from international bodies and rights groups:

• Amnesty International: Spokesman Fernando Cheung called the verdict a grim milestone in a campaign to erase the legacy of vigil activists.
• Human Rights Watch: Asia director Elaine Pearson stated the conviction shows that public displays of mourning have become a crime in Hong Kong.
• Taiwan: The Mainland Affairs Council urged China to stop political persecution and demanded the immediate release of those detained.
• Legal Experts: Urania Chiu of Oxford Brookes University told AFP the ruling sends a chilling message that peaceful critique of the state is no longer welcome.

Following the verdict, Lee's wife, Elizabeth Tang, told reporters she felt furious, angry and that the judges did not consider the materials provided by their lawyers. Chow's mother, Medina Chow Lau Wah-chun, expressed hope that the environment would become healthier.

The court is expected to hear mitigation arguments from Lee, Chow, and Ho next week.