In a symbolic protest against the authoritarian regime of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Gu Siyiao and others carried a paper coffin, representing the burial of the CCP. (Li Ming / Dajiyuan)
[People News] On Friday, August 20, the Hong Kong High Court ruled that pro-democracy activists Li Zhuo Ren and Zou Xing Tong were guilty of 'inciting subversion of state power.' Both are leaders of the now-dissolved Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The judge, designated under the national security law, cited the Alliance's demand to 'end one-party rule' as the basis for the conviction. This ruling has been condemned by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Taiwan.
According to a report by Voice of America, the full name of the Alliance is the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which was founded during the 1989 Beijing Tiananmen Democracy Movement when Hong Kong was still a British colony. From 1990 to 2019, the Alliance held large-scale candlelight vigils in Victoria Park, Hong Kong, during the anniversary of the 'June Fourth' crackdown, with attendance often exceeding 100,000 people.
In 2020, Hong Kong authorities banned the vigil, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, and that same year, Beijing implemented the National Security Law in Hong Kong. In 2021, authorities charged Alliance Chairman Li Zhuo Ren and two vice-chairpersons, Zou Xing Tong and He Jun Ren, with 'inciting subversion of state power,' which led to the Alliance's announcement of its dissolution.
Li Zhuo Ren and Zou Xing Tong denied the charges, while He Jun Ren pleaded guilty during a hearing in January this year.
In the ruling, the judge stated that the leadership position of the Chinese Communist Party is established by the Chinese Constitution, and that the Alliance leaders Li Zhuo Ren, Zou Xing Tong, and He Jun Ren intended to encourage their supporters to take action to 'end one-party rule.'
The judge is set to hear the plea on August 28, after which the sentencing will take place. The maximum penalty the defendant faces is 10 years in prison.
On Friday, Riley Barnes, the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, released a statement on the X platform, saying: "The United States condemns the guilty verdict against the former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance by the Hong Kong court and calls for their immediate release. Their peaceful vigil to commemorate the Tiananmen Massacre was simply an act of remembrance for the past and a tribute to those who lost their lives in that tragic event."
The bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) also issued a statement on the X platform regarding this ruling, asserting: "The guilty verdicts against Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan should be condemned by the global community. This represents the latest instance in a long series of political persecution aimed at stifling dissent and eroding the fundamental freedoms of Hong Kong. Their peaceful advocacy for democratic reform—and their efforts to preserve the memory of the Tiananmen Massacre—pose no threat to state power. This is an exercise of rights that the Hong Kong and Beijing authorities have pledged to protect rather than punish. They should be released immediately and unconditionally and recognized globally as champions of freedom."
The committee's bipartisan leaders had previously nominated Lee Cheuk-yan and other Hong Kong pro-democracy activists for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023.
Former House Speaker and California Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi took to the X platform to express her views, stating: "The unjust prosecution of Li Zhuoren, Zou Xingtong, and He Junren is a disgraceful act of political persecution, further demonstrating that China (the CCP) is actively working to eradicate the freedoms of Hong Kong."
In her statement, she emphasized: "The global community must come together to demand their release. The authoritarian oppression from China (the CCP) will not erase the truth of Tiananmen, nor will it silence the conscience of Hong Kong or undermine the universal struggle for freedom."
Baroness Rosie Winterton, the UK Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific, released a statement on Friday, noting: "This ruling further illustrates that even peaceful commemorative activities in Hong Kong are now regarded by the authorities as a national security threat. The widespread application of Beijing's National Security Law to punish and restrict peaceful expression contradicts China's commitments to Hong Kong under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. We once again call for the repeal of the National Security Law and for the respect of all rights and freedoms in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."
The European Union's foreign affairs agency, the European External Action Service (EEAS), also issued a statement on Friday regarding the case of the Alliance in Support of Hong Kong, asserting that the guilty verdict "confirms the ongoing decline of freedom of speech and assembly in Hong Kong and the further contraction of independent civil society space."
The European Union's statement also noted that "the prosecution of these defendants is politically motivated, and they have endured prolonged pre-trial detention and denied bail, with Zhou Xingtong being subjected to repeated solitary confinement. This practice undermines public confidence in the rule of law established by the Hong Kong Basic Law, which is the foundation of the city's historic success as an international business hub."
The statement further emphasized, "The EU urges the authorities to maintain space for an independent civil society and to ensure the freedom of speech and the right to peaceful assembly as guaranteed by the Basic Law. The EU once again calls on the authorities to respect the high degree of autonomy that Hong Kong is entitled to under the 'one country, two systems' principle and international legal obligations, particularly those outlined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which has been submitted to the United Nations."
On Friday, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council expressed "deep regret and sorrow" regarding the sentencing of the Hong Kong Alliance leader for 'inciting subversion of state power,' urging the Chinese Communist Party and the Hong Kong government to "cease political persecution and immediately release those detained in this case."
The non-governmental organization advocating for democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Freedom Commission Foundation (CFHK), called on the authorities to immediately release Li Zhuoren, Zhou Xingtong, and He Junren. The organization posted on the X platform, stating, "The Hong Kong government can extinguish the candle, but cannot snuff out the light it represents. This ruling cannot silence them."
Wang Dan, a board member of the Hong Kong Freedom Foundation and a former leader of the 'June Fourth' student movement, expressed in a statement to Voice of America (VOA): 'I believe that the Hong Kong government, following Beijing's directives, has issued a verdict against the Alliance with the intention of erasing the historical memory of June Fourth. This ruling is not just a judgment against Li Zhuoren and Zou Xingtong; it is a judgment against everyone who strives to preserve this historical memory. However, I believe that such a ruling will have little impact, as there are many who are genuinely committed to maintaining this historical memory. The smiles on Li Zhuoren and Zou Xingtong's faces reveal that they were already mentally prepared for this verdict, but they chose to confront it with composure. Their steadfastness and bravery in preserving historical memory serve as a powerful weapon against totalitarianism and the absurdity of this ruling.' △
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