Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil organiser, former leaders guilty of inciting subversion
A Hong Kong court has convicted former leaders of the alliance behind the annual Tiananmen Square vigil for inciting subversion. The judges ruled that advocating for an end to one-party rule in China constitutes a threat to national security.
Why it matters
This verdict marks a significant tightening of political control in Hong Kong and underscores the reach of mainland China's national security laws.
The now-disbanded alliance behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil and two of its former leaders have been found guilty of inciting subversion under the national security law by advocating an end to “one-party dictatorship” in mainland China.
In a 216-page judgment delivered at West Kowloon Court on Friday, three High Court judges ruled that any attempt to overthrow or undermine the Communist Party of China’s leadership could constitute a subversion offence because the country’s constitution did not permit Western-style democracy.
They found the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, its former chairman Lee Cheuk-yan and former vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung had incited public hatred towards the party by likening Beijing’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989 to local authorities’ suppression of the 2019 anti-government protests.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in