Hong Kong Tiananmen Vigil Organisers Face Prison

Chow Hang-tung, a barrister and former vice-chair of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison. This sentence is for contempt of court, related to her role in organising the annual Tiananmen Square massacre vigil. The vigil, held on June 4th, was banned by authorities in 2020 due to COVID-19 concerns, but thousands still gathered in Victoria Park. Chow Hang-tung had previously been convicted of inciting others to participate in an unauthorised assembly and sentenced to 12 months in prison in January 2022. She was later granted bail pending appeal but was re-arrested in August 2022 on a charge of subversion under the National Security Law. Her conviction for contempt of court is separate from these other charges.

Two other former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho, have also been sentenced to 14 months and 12 months respectively for their roles in the unauthorised vigil. These sentences are to be served consecutively with prison terms they are already serving for other convictions related to unauthorised assemblies. Lee Cheuk-yan is serving a 20-month sentence for participating in an unauthorised assembly in 2019, and Albert Ho is serving a 12-month sentence for the same offence. The Hong Kong Alliance itself was declared an "unlawful organisation" by the government in September 2021, with authorities citing national security concerns. The group had been instrumental in organising the annual candlelight vigils in Hong Kong for over three decades, commemorating the Chinese government's violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.

These convictions and sentences have drawn significant international criticism. Amnesty International stated that the organisers "must be released immediately and unconditionally," calling the prosecutions "a grave injustice" and "a stark illustration of the systematic dismantling of freedom of expression and assembly in Hong Kong." Human Rights Watch echoed these sentiments, stating that the "persecution of Tiananmen vigil organisers is a chilling reminder of Beijing's determination to erase the memory of the 1989 massacre." The Hong Kong government has defended its actions, asserting that the prosecutions are based on "evidence and in accordance with the law," and that the National Security Law is necessary to maintain public order and national security. The ongoing legal battles and imprisonment of these individuals highlight the shrinking space for dissent and remembrance in Hong Kong following the imposition of the National Security Law in 2020.