Fresh India: In a major growth, a Hong Kong jury has convicted 14 pro- politics activists in the state’s largest national safety case under a law imposed by Beijing. Essentially, the law has successfully stifled people dissent in the city. Among those found criminal were past politicians Leung Kwok- hung, Lam Cheuk- ho, Helena Wong, and Raymond Chan. But, two former city councilors, Lee Yue- ignore and Lawrence Lau, were acquitted by the three authorities- approved judges overseeing the case.
The defendants were a group of 47 democracy activists who were charged in 2021 with participating in an illegal major vote. Prosecutors claimed that they sought to sabotage Hong Kong’s government and remove its leader by obtaining a parliamentary majority that did grant them the right to veto budgets without distinction.
The usurpation case against the 16 defendants, who entered a not-guilty plea and underwent a non-jury test, is expected to show how the protection law is being used to love political opposition in the midst of the huge anti-government protests in 2019. The governments of Beijing and Hong Kong assert that the legislation has preserved criminal freedom while restoring balance to the city.
Beijing pledged to preserve the city’s Western-style civil rights for 50 times when Hong Kong was returned to China by Britain in 1997. However, Hong Kong authorities have significantly curtailed free speech and assembly under the pretext of maintaining regional security since the execution of the 2020 safety rules. Some activists have been arrested, silenced, or forced into personal- exile, and various civil society groups have disbanded.
A number of pro-democracy activists are being prosecuted in the principal case, including former student leader Joshua Wong, former law enforcement official Leung Kwok-hung, and former lawmakers Claudia Mo and Benny Tai. One of them, Tai, Wong, and Mo, admitted guilt to the crime demand and are scheduled to serve shorter prison sentences after their imprisonment hearing.
As early as Wednesday night on Wednesday, accused ‘ supporters gathered outside the police-guarded court building to reserve seats in the public museum for the two-day reading that will begin on Thursday.
Social employee Stanley Chang, a pal of one of the 16 plaintiffs, arrived at 4 a. m. to show support and give a sense of companionship. Another admirer, SL Chiu, wrote in a book the message” Hong Kongers are still here” to the 47 activists to receive in return. We have n’t given up. We are still with each other.
The July 2020 major aimed to list pro- politics candidates for the standard election, drawing an surprisingly high turnout of 610, 000 voters, representing over 13 percent of the city’s listed electorate. The pro-democracy movement hoped to secure a legislative majority to support the demands of the 2019 protests, including more police transparency and free elections for the city leader.
However, the government delayed the legislative election due to the coronavirus pandemic, citing health risks that were associated with it, and later changed the electoral laws to significantly lessen the ability of the electorate, reducing the number of pro-Beijing lawmakers in the legislature.
