A Hong Kong court charged three leaders of the group behind the city’s annual Tiananmen Massacre vigil under the Beijing-imposed national security law for subversion on Friday.
They were accused of inciting other people to “organize, plan, commit or participate in acts by unlawful means with a view to subverting the state power” under the national security law.
When asked whether they understood the charge in the court, Chow said, “[I] understand, this is a ridiculous allegation.”
Last June, the Chinese regime inserted the national security law into the former British mini-constitution, Basic Law. The draconian regulation criminalizes four broadly defined categories of offenses, including secession, subversion, and collusion with a foreign country.
The group itself, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Democratic Movements of China, was also charged with inciting subversion.
The Alliance is known for organizing the city’s annual candlelight vigil to memorialize the victims of the bloody massacre at Tiananmen Square in China, the center of the capital Beijing. On June 4, 1989, the communist regime’s leader sent troops to quash the protesting students who called for a more open society.
The Hong Kong police had characterized the Alliance as a foreign agent, requesting it hand over its membership, operation, and finances before Sept. 7.
The group strongly denied the accusation and said that it would not cooperate with the police at the press conference.
The five refused to plead guilty.
The Secretary of the Security said in a letter on Friday he would give the Alliance two weeks to explain why it shouldn’t be struck off the Companies Register. The group will be dissolved once the security bureau releases the removal notice.
The police’s national security department had already frozen $283,000 worth of assets belonging to the group.
The next hearing for the case is scheduled for Oct. 28. Under the national security law, people who are found guilty of incitement to commit secession could face five to 10 years in jail.
More than 100 people have been arrested under the national security law, leading to more than 60 charges—mostly against Democratic politicians, activists, journalists, and students.
Don’t Accept the Fate
Chow said on her Facebook page on Friday, if the resistance could win back more time and space for the like-minded, “I believe it’s worth it.”A former group member, Richard Tsoi, attended the hearing in a black T-shirt reading “people will not forget.”
“I can only say that I hope Hongkongers will continue to uphold our conscience and keep concern for social affairs, and that everyone will continue to pay attention to the current situation in Hong Kong,” he said when asked whether he worried about his own situation.
