Hong Kong Activists Found Guilty of Incitement to Subversion
Two Hong Kong activists were found guilty Friday. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung were convicted of incitement to subversion.
They were charged under a national security law. China imposed this law on Hong Kong in 2020.
Sentencing will happen later. They could face up to 10 years in prison.
Former Alliance leader Albert Ho pleaded guilty in January. Lee and Chow used to lead the Hong Kong Alliance.
This group organized yearly vigils for the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. They were charged in 2021 under the security law.
The Alliance no longer exists. Public Tiananmen vigils have been banned since the law began.
This followed large pro-democracy protests in 2019. Rights groups criticized the verdict. They say it shows less freedom of speech in Hong Kong.
Key Terms 4
- National security law A China-imposed law restricting protests and speech in Hong Kong.
- Incitement to subversion A crime of encouraging actions against the government.
- Tiananmen Square crackdown A 1989 Chinese military crackdown on protesters in Beijing.
- Hong Kong Alliance A group that organized Tiananmen vigils, now shut down.