HK Activists Convicted for Tiananmen Vigils
Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, who led the former Hong Kong Alliance, have been found guilty of inciting subversion under the national security law brought in by Beijing in 2020. The court sentenced them to prison terms that could reach up to 10 years, with official sentencing to be announced later. A third defendant, 74‑year‑old former lawmaker Albert Ho, pleaded guilty in January and is expected to face a similar fate.
Prosecutors argued that the activists endangered national security while claiming to champion human rights. In a rare public statement, Chow represented herself at trial, noting that the law itself is under scrutiny. Hong Kong once allowed public commemorations of the 1989 crackdown, but the annual vigils were banned in 2020 under Covid‑19 restrictions and never resumed.
The Hong Kong Alliance, founded in May 1989 to support pro‑democracy student protests, urged authorities to acknowledge the violence in Tiananmen Square and introduce democratic reforms. Its leaders were arrested in 2021 and have been detained ever since. Amnesty International has voiced concerns that the national security law’s definitions of subversion are overly broad and vague.
The verdict underscores Beijing’s tightening grip on dissent in Hong Kong, hinting that even low‑level protest activity can invite severe legal ramifications. Activists and human‑rights advocates argue that the law erodes essential civil liberties and threatens Hong Kong’s identity as a unique hub in the Greater China region.
