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Hong Kong Court Jails Tiananmen Vigil Organizers for Up to Seven Years

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

A Hong Kong court has sentenced three activists who organized annual vigils honoring victims of Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown to lengthy prison terms under the city's national security law. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were convicted last month of inciting subversion of state power. A third defendant, Albert Ho, 74, had pleaded guilty in January. On Friday, the court sentenced Lee to seven years in prison and Chow to seven years and three months. Ho received a five-year sentence. All three had faced up to 10 years behind bars. The defendants led the now-dissolved Hong Kong Alliance, established in May 1989 to support pro-democracy student demonstrators in Beijing. Weeks after its founding, Chinese troops and tanks violently suppressed the protests in Tiananmen Square, with death toll estimates ranging from several hundred to thousands. For over 30 years, the Alliance pressed authorities to acknowledge responsibility for the crackdown, release political prisoners, and implement democratic reforms. It also organized yearly vigils that organizers say drew crowds exceeding 100,000, although police estimates were lower. Hong Kong was among the few places under Chinese jurisdiction where such commemorations were permitted. Authorities banned the gatherings in 2020, citing pandemic restrictions, and they have not resumed since. That same year, Beijing imposed a national security law criminalizing a broad range of dissenting activities. Officials describe the law as essential for maintaining order, while critics say it has undermined Hong Kong's autonomy and fostered widespread fear. Lee, Chow, and Ho were charged in 2021. A court summary from August stated that Lee and Chow had incited others to organize or participate in unlawful acts aimed at subverting state authority. Central to the case was the Alliance's slogan calling to "end one-party dictatorship," which the court ruled amounted to incitement against the Chinese Communist Party. During the trial in May, Chow argued that the law itself was effectively being tested. In court on Friday, Chow and Lee smiled toward a packed public gallery as proceedings began, while Ho remained solemn. After sentencing, Lee appeared to pray while being escorted from the dock, and Chow blew a kiss to supporters. Lee's wife, Elizabeth Tang, told Reuters it was a devastating day, saying she could not accept her husband spending three additional years in prison. She noted Lee plans to appeal. Chow's mother, Medina, urged supporters outside the courthouse not to despair or feel guilty over the outcome. Speaking to the BBC before her 2022 arrest, Chow had said she was ready to be detained and willing to accept the consequences of advocating for democracy. The court additionally imposed a fine of HK$1.5 million (about $191,000) on the Hong Kong Alliance. Rights groups condemned the sentences. Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks called the ruling a "triple tragedy" affecting the activists, the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown, and generations of Hong Kong residents denied space to discuss the historic event. Human Rights Watch said the harsh punishments reflect a government fearful of collective memory and its people.