Two former activists, Lee Cheuk-yan (69) and Chow Hang-tung (41), have been convicted of inciting subversion under Hong Kong’s National Security Law. Their convictions are part of a broader crackdown on civic dissent following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
Lee and Chow lead a group that organised annual vigils to remember the crackdown. Under the law, they face up to ten years in prison, with sentencing yet to be scheduled. In January, a third defendant, 74-year-old former legislator Albert Ho, pleaded guilty and will also have to face sentencing.
The National Security Law, introduced by China, criminalises many forms of dissent. Prosecutors argued that the defendants’ actions “endangered national security” in the name of human rights. Chow, who represented herself, claimed that the law itself was a “trial” and not a tool for legal prosecution.
Hong Kong historically was one of the few places in Chinese territory where people could gather to remember the Tiananmen crackdown. In 2020, authorities cited the COVID‑19 pandemic to ban such gatherings, effectively suspending them. The ban coincided with the law’s enforcement, which broadens the scope of dissenting acts by criminalising a wide range of protest.
The Harbour Korea Alliance (HKSA), established in May 1989, campaigned for accountability, for the release of political prisoners, and for democratic reforms. Their leadership has been imprisoned since 2021. International human‑rights organizations such as Amnesty International have described the case as “reliant on vague, broad and arbitrary definitions of subversion.”
This conviction echoes the suppression of dissent seen in other jurisdictions, raising alarms over the erosion of basic civil liberties. Critics insist that such measures will stifle necessary public discourse that underpins not only democratic processes but also the public’s ability to address broader societal challenges – including environmental sustainability and climate action – that are deeply rooted in social justice and equitable governance.
