Hong Kong activists convicted over Tiananmen vigils

HONG KONG: Two prominent Hong Kong activists have been found guilty under the city’s national security law over their role in organising annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.

Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and lawyer Chow Hang-tung, 41, were convicted of inciting others to subvert state power. They could face up to 10 years in prison. The court is expected to announce their sentences at a later date.

A third defendant, former lawmaker Albert Ho, 74, pleaded guilty to the charge in January.

The case centres on the activities of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. Lee and Chow were among its leading figures. The organisation had spent decades campaigning for accountability over the 1989 crackdown and supporting democratic reforms.

Hong Kong had long been one of the few places under Chinese sovereignty where large public gatherings were allowed to commemorate the Tiananmen crackdown. Thousands of people traditionally gathered at Victoria Park each year for a candlelight vigil.

Those gatherings were banned in 2020. Authorities initially cited coronavirus restrictions, but the vigils did not return after the national security law came into effect that same year.

The law criminalises a broad range of activities involving secession, subversion, terrorism and alleged collusion with foreign forces. Critics have argued that the legislation has significantly restricted political freedoms and public dissent in Hong Kong. Authorities maintain that the law is necessary to protect national security and preserve stability.

During Friday’s verdict, Chow appeared composed and smiled as the decision was read in court. Lee showed little emotion before making a heart gesture and clasping his hands towards people in the public gallery.

The prosecution said the two activists had encouraged others to organise or participate in activities intended to undermine state power. Chow had previously argued that the case was about more than the defendants themselves, saying the national security law was effectively on trial.

Lee and Chow were arrested and charged in 2021. They have remained in custody since then.

Human rights organisations have strongly criticised the convictions. Amnesty International said the case relies on broad and unclear definitions of subversion and described the activists as prisoners of conscience. Human Rights Watch said the verdict demonstrated how public remembrance of the Tiananmen crackdown had effectively become criminalised in Hong Kong.

Chow has faced legal action over the issue before. She was arrested in 2021 for encouraging people to attend that year’s banned Tiananmen vigil and was later convicted. Hong Kong’s highest court overturned that conviction in 2022, ruling that authorities had failed to properly justify the ban.

The Tiananmen crackdown remains one of the most politically sensitive events in China. Chinese authorities have heavily restricted public discussion and commemoration of the events, while estimates of those killed during the 1989 military crackdown range from several hundred to several thousand.