Hong Kong Court Convicts Tiananmen Vigil Organisers of Inciting Subversion
Three activists who organised annual commemorations of the 1989 crackdown are found guilty under the national security law, drawing condemnation from the UK Foreign Office.
Hong Kong1 min read
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A Hong Kong court has found three organisers of the annual Tiananmen Square vigil guilty of inciting subversion under the national security law. The defendants are Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, along with a third activist linked to the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.
The Alliance had staged the candlelight vigil in Victoria Park each year since 1990 to mark the deaths of protesters in Beijing on 4 June 1989. Authorities banned the gathering after the security law took effect in 2020. Prosecutors argued that the organisers' statements and materials promoted subversion of state power.
The UK Foreign Office condemned the use of the national security law to convict the activists. It said the law has been applied in ways that restrict legitimate expression and association. The defendants face potential prison terms of several years.
Lee Cheuk-yan is a veteran labour organiser and former legislator. Chow Hang-tung is a barrister who served as vice-chair of the Alliance. Both had been held in custody for extended periods pending trial. The case forms part of a broader series of prosecutions against groups and individuals associated with the 2019 protests and earlier democratic activities.
The national security law was introduced by Beijing in June 2020. It covers secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Critics say its vague definitions have chilled public discussion of sensitive historical events. Supporters argue it restored stability after prolonged unrest.
The convictions close the formal legal chapter on the Alliance, which dissolved itself after the ban on the vigil. Similar cases against other figures connected to the 1989 commemorations continue in the courts.
