Two former organisers of Hong Kong’s annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown were convicted on Friday in a national security case brought under a law imposed by China. Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, were found guilty of inciting subversion after pleading not guilty to the charge.

The alliance itself was also convicted in the case. Lee and Chow face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and are expected to be sentenced at a later date. The case is among the latest involving Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, which has been significantly weakened by actions taken by Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.

Former Vigil Organisers Convicted

The Hong Kong Alliance had organised a candlelight vigil for three decades to commemorate those killed during the 1989 crackdown in Beijing. Tens of thousands of people attended the annual event, which was the only large-scale public commemoration of the crackdown of its kind.

The vigil was banned in 2020 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, shortly before Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong following the large-scale anti-government protests of 2019.

The judges did not read out the reasons for the convictions on Friday and said the full judgment would subsequently be published online.

Prosecution Cites ‘Ending One-Party Rule’

Prosecutors argued during the trial that the case was not political and alleged that the alliance had encouraged people to seek the overthrow of China’s Communist Party leadership through unlawful means.

They pointed to “ending one-party rule”, one of the alliance’s core demands, as evidence supporting the charge of inciting subversion.

Lee disputed that interpretation, telling the court that the phrase referred to moving towards democracy and allowing people to decide who should govern them. He argued that the Communist Party should not impose what he described as “dictatorship”.

Chow, a barrister who represented herself, similarly argued that “ending one-party rule” referred to ending a system in which political power remained unrestricted.

Trial Draws Criticism Over Hong Kong Freedoms

Observers have described the case as evidence of the shrinking space for freedom of expression in Hong Kong, which was returned to Chinese rule in 1997 after more than 150 years as a British colony.

Eric Lai, a senior fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said the charge of inciting subversion has frequently been used in mainland China against human rights lawyers, activists and intellectuals, including late Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo.

“We can see to what extent the court in Hong Kong falls into the level of the party-led judiciary in the mainland through the criminal verdict,” Lai said.

Chow has also criticised the proceedings. In a Patreon post published on Thursday, she said she had been transported from prison to court in handcuffs and chains around her waist and ankles and was escorted by correctional officers “like a dog”.

“Justice lives in the hearts of the people. There is no need to look up to this kind of top-down ruling, and one verdict doesn’t matter much,” she wrote.

Trial Concludes Ahead Of Schedule

The trial was initially expected to last 75 days but concluded much earlier, with closing arguments completed on the 24th day.

When proceedings began in January, another defendant, Albert Ho, pleaded guilty. His guilty plea could result in a reduced sentence.

Lee and Chow are expected to seek lighter penalties during a separate sentencing hearing and could be sentenced alongside Ho.

Supporters Queue Outside Court

Dozens of people waited outside the court in light rain before Friday’s hearing. Among them was Tang Ngok-kwan, a former alliance member who said police prevented him from joining the queue if he carried what officers considered “sensitive” material.

Tang said the material included bookmarks bearing the words “vindicate June 4”, referring to the anniversary of the 1989 crackdown. He decided not to enter the court.

Tang said a guilty verdict against the alliance would “upend his understanding” of Hong Kong’s laws.

Former vigil attendee Margaret Chan, who joined the queue at 6 am, questioned how the alliance could be accused of inciting others when its name itself included the word “patriotic”.

“Everyone is patriotic. How to incite? Incite others to be patriotic?” she said.

Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy Movement Dismantled

Hundreds of people, and possibly thousands, were killed during the 1989 crackdown after military tanks moved into central Beijing. The annual Hong Kong vigil became one of the most prominent public commemorations of those events.

After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, the former vigil site in Hong Kong was instead used for a carnival organised by pro-Beijing groups.

Beijing has defended the 2020 national security law, saying it was necessary to maintain stability in Hong Kong. Since its introduction, several prominent activists have been jailed under the law, including former media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

Dozens of civil society organisations have also dissolved, including the Hong Kong Alliance.

The convictions of Lee, Chow and the alliance mark another major national security case centred on the former annual Tiananmen vigil. Sentencing will take place at a later date.

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