In a high-profile case that underscores the erosion of civil liberties in Hong Kong, three prominent pro-democracy activists are set to face trial on charges of inciting subversion under the city’s national security law. Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and Albert Ho, who were key members of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, are accused of organising the annual vigil to commemorate the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
The trial, which begins on Thursday, is one of the most significant national security cases to be heard in Hong Kong since Beijing imposed the sweeping legislation in 2020. The defendants, who face a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment if convicted, have been at the forefront of the city’s pro-democracy movement for decades.
The annual Tiananmen vigil, which was banned in 2020 amid a crackdown on free expression, had long been a symbol of Hong Kong’s autonomy and its willingness to confront the authoritarian rule of mainland China. The decision to prosecute the organisers of this event has been widely condemned as a blatant attempt to rewrite history and silence those who refuse to forget the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
“This case is not about national security – it is about rewriting history and punishing those who refuse to forget the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown,” said Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for Asia.
Chow, an internationally lauded human rights barrister, has been detained for more than four years awaiting trial, while Lee and Ho, former Hong Kong legislators, have also been previously sentenced for convictions related to unauthorised assemblies during the 2019-20 pro-democracy movement.
The trial will be heard by three judges handpicked by the government to handle national security cases, rather than a jury, further raising concerns about the fairness of the proceedings. One of the judges, Alex Lee, recently presided over the trial of Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former media mogul who was convicted on national security charges in December.
“The Chinese regime will stop at nothing to erase history and silence those who seek to keep the truth of Tiananmen alive,” said Mark Clifford, the president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. “Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho are courageous patriots who have devoted their lives to representing Chinese people denied basic rights. Sadly, they are also symbols of how far Hong Kong’s once-respected justice system has fallen, persecuted for demanding that Beijing keep its promises to the people of Hong Kong.”
As the trial unfolds, it will serve as a stark reminder of the erosion of Hong Kong’s once-vibrant civil society and the relentless efforts by the Chinese authorities to control the narrative and suppress any dissent.
