Conviction of Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil activists draws approval from gov’t, concern from overseas human rights groups

The conviction of two pro-democracy figures who organised Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigils has prompted wide approval from government officials. Activists and overseas human rights groups, however, have expressed concern about what they see as declining freedoms in the city.

Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan, both former leaders of the now-defunct Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were found guilty on Friday of inciting subversion.

A third defendant, former lawmaker Albert Ho, pleaded guilty when the trial opened in January. The group itself – which organised mass vigils to remember those killed in China’s 1989 Tiananmen crackdown – was also found guilty.

Lee and Chow have already been on remand for nearly five years following their September 2021 arrests. Ho has been behind bars since May 2021 aside from a seven-month period of bail.

HKFP rounds up reactions to the convictions, which could see defendants jailed for up to 10 years.

Local reactions:

Hong Kong leader John Lee

“The Alliance had long been deliberately planting seeds of hatred against the CPC and the Central Government in the Hong Kong society, attempting to incite disaffection, hatred and other sentiments among members of the public against the CPC and the Central Government through various means, and inciting people to subvert state power. The acts of the defendants over a long period of time endangered national security; their conspiracy was abundantly clear, which must be brought to justice.”

Chief Superintendent Steve Li of the police’s National Security Department

“It is an indisputable fact that the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China has, year after year over a prolonged period, sown countless seeds of hatred against the Central Government and the Chinese Communist Party among the public. Today, the court’s conviction of the Alliance’s chairman and vice-chairmen rightly exposes their true colours as having deliberately incited others to subvert state power and endanger national security.”

Secretary for Security Chris Tang

“Since The Alliance’s founding, it has promoted its agenda with the aim of overthrowing the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership and constitution… after the national security law was enacted, the defendants still held public activities, including attempting to hold illegal assemblies, using slogans to incite the public to take part in so-called protests, distributing printed publications or online content, accepting media interviews, and making public statements. They also attempted to operate and digitise their so-called museum.”

Activists’ and family members’ reactions:

Elizabeth Tang, labour rights activist and Lee Cheuk-yan’s wife

“[I am] very angry, very disappointed. There’s been no evidence all along that there were illegal means, and yet [they are] still found guilty. It’s very disappointing, and I’m really angry. [I’ll] take a look at how to handle mitigation, or we may not [submit any mitigation materials].”

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Emily Lau, former Democratic Party chair

“[The June 4 vigil] was held for so many years, and there were no issues right? And the government gave permission back then to use the venue too. A lot of us just really don’t understand it.”

Tsang Kin-shing, also known as “The Bull”

“Regarding the verdict today, I feel helpless. In the future, if you ask whether we should take part in candlelight vigils, I would warn everyone not to because it’s easy to break the law. The tears of the candlelight will flow in our hearts.”

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Lau Ka-yee, former executive committee member of the Alliance

“To prove that June Fourth and commemorating it is not a crime, we will continue this legal path and lay bare the truth as we know it. This will allow the public to see clearly what the arguments actually are. Justice resides in the hearts of the people.”

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Medina Chow, the mother of Chow Hang-tung

“I hope the environment will become healthier and that flowers of different colours will blossom.”

NGO reactions:

Human Rights Watch’s Asia Director Elaine Pearson

“The conviction of three Tiananmen vigil activists shows how public displays of mourning have become a crime in Hong Kong. These activists exposed the Chinese government’s fears of the memory of its own atrocities, which treats remembrance as a national security threat.”

Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks

“The Hong Kong authorities should quash these convictions and end the ongoing persecution of people seeking to keep the memory of Tiananmen alive. Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan are prisoners of conscience who should never have been prosecuted in the first place. They must be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Hong Kong Centre for Human Rights

“Citizens attended the vigils year after year, rain or shine, because the Chinese government has never taken accountability for the June 4th massacre. The build-up of public grievance lies at the feet of power holders who refuse to listen, not the advocates who peacefully speak out. Blaming a peaceful, rational civil society group for the social divide caused by the authorities’ own chronic disregard of public opinion is an extremely irresponsible, evasive, and politically infantile act, as well as a total trampling of Hong Kong people’s right to peaceful assembly.”

Diplomatic reactions:

Mainland Affairs Council

“For decades, the Alliance has used peaceful mains to commemorate June 4 and pursue democracy and freedom. Yet, its ideals and advocacy has been slapped with the offence of ‘inciting subversion’ under the national security law. Moreover, the legal procedures have lasted five years, and the defendants have been detained for a long time, sparking deep concern in the international community about the regression of human rights and rule of law in Hong Kong.”

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Foreign ministries of France and Germany

“Germany and France deeply regret the guilty verdict against human rights lawyer and democracy activist Chow Hang-tung. Alongside other activists from the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Chow Hang-tung worked tirelessly to promote human rights and democracy in China, in particular in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. Peaceful advocacy for human rights does not constitute a crime… Chow Hang-tung, a highly respected barrister, was awarded the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law in 2023 in recognition of her exceptional dedication to promoting human rights, including the peaceful commemoration of the June 4th, 1989 crackdown.”

Indo-Pacific minister Rosie Winterton of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

“The extensive use of Beijing’s National Security Law to punish and restrict peaceful expression undermines the commitments China made to Hong Kong under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. We reiterate our call for the National Security Law to be repealed, and for rights and freedoms to be respected in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.”

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

“The continuing broad application of national security legislation in Hong Kong to arrest, pressure and prosecute pro-democracy figures, opposition groups, media, trade unions and civil society has a chilling effect on free speech. We continue to call on China to cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media and civil society. We also call for the repeal of the National Security Law in Hong Kong.”