The Chinese Communist Party’s campaign to silence opposition in Hong Kong has reached a new milestone, with two former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance (HKA) found guilty of inciting others to subvert state power. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, face up to a decade behind bars under the sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing.
A third defendant, 74-year-old Albert Ho, had already entered a guilty plea earlier this year. The convictions stem from the duo’s involvement in organizing annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, an event the CCP has spent decades attempting to erase from history.
Since the implementation of the national security law in 2020, authorities have effectively criminalized dissent, using the statute to dismantle organizations like the HKA, which Beijing has labeled a 'toxic tumour.' While international rights groups have decried the verdict as an assault on basic freedoms, the reality remains that the CCP has successfully consolidated its control over the territory.
The legal proceedings highlight the stark decline of Hong Kong’s autonomy, as the regime continues to prioritize absolute stability and the suppression of any movement that challenges its authority.
For those like Chow Hang-tung, who previously stated she was willing to pay the price for her activism, the verdict serves as a grim confirmation of the new political reality in Hong Kong under Beijing’s rule.
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