A young man from Hong Kong was sentenced on Thursday (19) to one year and two months in prison after being found guilty of “committing acts with seditious intent” by wearing a t-shirt and a mask with protest slogans, within the scope of the controversial National Security Ordinance of March 2024.
This case is a landmark as it is the first time a person has been charged and convicted under this new regulation, which is based on Article 23 of the city’s Basic Law.
Chu Kai-pong, 27, was arrested on June 12, during the anniversary of the 2019 protests, for wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Let’s liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time” and a yellow mask with the letters “FDNOL”, which allude to the slogan “Five demands, not one less”.
Hong Kong police claimed that such phrases “could incite hatred, contempt or discontent against the fundamental system of the state established by the Constitution of the People’s Republic [ditadura] from China”.
During the hearing at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court, Chu admitted to wearing the clothing to commemorate the 2019 protests and seek public empathy, which is why he pleaded guilty to “an act with seditious intent” under the National Security Ordinance.
However, his defense argued that there was no evidence that his actions incited others during the brief period he wore the pieces.
Although he accepted that prison was the only option, the defense expressed hope of receiving the maximum one-third discount on his sentence for admitting guilt.
Anti-government protests began in June 2019 in response to an extradition bill that has remained shelved since then.
Over time, the mobilizations intensified, sometimes with acts of violent dissent against the police, amid calls for democracy and outrage at the intervention of the Beijing regime.
Protesters demanded an independent investigation into the application of the law, amnesty for those arrested and an end to classifying the demonstrations as “riots.”
Chu’s trial and conviction marks a significant milestone in the implementation of new local legislation that seeks to limit dissenting voices in the region and has intensified controversy over civil rights in the former British colony.
The reform was quickly passed through Hong Kong’s parliament without opposition earlier this year and was signed into law on March 23, two decades after an attempt to pass a similar law failed in 2003 following a series of angry riots.
Article 23 of Hong Kong’s Basic Law includes crimes that can carry a sentence of life imprisonment, such as treason, insurrection, inciting riots and colluding with external forces to damage infrastructure and endanger national security.
The reform has generated controversy and criticism from democratic governments and human rights organizations around the world, who warn of a new era of authoritarianism that could undermine the principle of “one country, two systems” and the autonomy of the territory.
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