Hong Kong Vigil Leaders Sentenced to Prison for Tiananmen Massacre Commemoration

4:07 AM ETDeveloping

World Desk

In Short: Three activists who organized annual vigils to remember the Tiananmen Square Massacre were sentenced to prison terms, highlighting the tightening of restrictions on dissent in Hong Kong.

Organizers of Hong Kong's annual vigils to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre have been sentenced to prison terms, marking a significant crackdown on dissent in the territory. According to Assistant Secretary of State Riley Barnes, the vigils were a peaceful act of remembrance. However, John Lee, Hong Kong's top leader, accused the alliance of 'planting seeds of hatred' and 'inciting people to subvert state power.

The three activists, Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to seven years. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung received seven years and seven years and three months, respectively, while Albert Ho, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to five years and two months. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organized the vigils, was also fined 1.5 million Hong Kong dollars ($190,000).

Urania Chiu, a lecturer in law at Oxford Brookes University, commented, "The guilty verdicts confirmed that even peaceful calls for democratic change in the Chinese regime are now criminalized in Hong Kong." The sentences are seen as a barometer of Hong Kong's freedoms as Beijing continues to clamp down on dissent, with the territory once known for its vibrant civil society and freewheeling press scene.

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The Tiananmen vigils “sought only to remember the past and honor the lives lost in that assault,” Assistant Secretary of State Riley Barnes said in a post on X.
Lee, sentenced to seven years, would definitely appeal the sentencing, she said.
The vigil was first banned in 2020 before the national security law took effect, with Hong Kong authorities citing Covid-19 restrictions.
The vigils, which drew tens of thousands of people a year, were the only large-scale public commemoration on Chinese soil of the Tiananmen crackdown, discussion of which is heavily censored in mainland China.
“I took part in the alliance’s vigils for decades; the ruling amounts to an accusation against me,” he said.
Chow, who represented herself, said the verdict suggested pursuing democracy is a crime and that she did not deserve even one day in prison.
Hong Kong is governed by the rule of law and that no one should be allowed to engage in unlawful activities under the pretext of “freedom of speech and press,” the Hong Kong office of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement responding to criticism of the verdict in the Tiananmen vigil organizers’ case by foreign governments.

Sources

Taipei Timeslink