Hong Kong Activists Convicted Over Tiananmen Vigil Campaign

Two Hong Kong activists who organized annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown have been found guilty of inciting others to subvert state power under the city’s national security law. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were convicted under the China-imposed legislation and face up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing expected at a later date. A third defendant, Albert Ho, 74, pleaded guilty in January.

According to a court summary issued Friday, Lee and Chow were accused of inciting others to organize, plan, commit or participate in acts by unlawful means with the aim of subverting state power. Chow told the court in May that the national security law itself was on trial. The case has drawn attention to the shrinking space for political dissent and public commemoration in Hong Kong since the legislation came into force.

Hong Kong was once one of the few places in Chinese territory where people could openly gather to commemorate the deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989. Authorities banned the annual vigils in 2020, citing coronavirus restrictions, and the gatherings have never resumed. That same year, Hong Kong’s national security law came into effect, criminalizing a broad range of activities deemed threatening to state security, while mainland China continues to prohibit even indirect references to the 1989 crackdown.