Who are ‘Hong Kong 47’? Pro-democracy activists at centre of largest national security trial

Scores of Hong Kong’s starring pro-democracy activists, collectively known arsenic the “Hong Kong 47,” person been handed situation presumption successful the city’s largest proceedings under the nationalist information law.

Prosecutors accused them of trying to overthrow the government, charging them nether the caller instrumentality brought by China 3 years ago. The High Court connected Tuesday jailed 45 of them, portion 2 had been acquitted earlier this year.

Critics person condemned the prosecution as politically motivated, targeting those who represented governmental absorption to Beijing’s expanding power implicit the erstwhile British colony which was returned to China successful 1997.

The lawsuit centred connected the group’s engagement successful holding unofficial primaries successful 2020 to unafraid a pro-democracy bulk successful the metropolis legislature.

The organisers defended their actions saying that they were allowed nether the Basic Law, the mini constitution that governs Hong Kong and guarantees its radical a measurement of freedom.

Prosecutors, however, charged that their program to artifact authorities bills and unit the resignation of the main enforcement amounted to a conspiracy to perpetrate subversion, a complaint introduced nether the sweeping information law. 

Most of the defendants pleaded guilty.

The cardinal figures successful “Hong Kong 47” correspond a cross-section of the city’s pro-democracy movement, from seasoned politicians to first-time activists inspired by the 2019 thoroughfare protests.

They include  Benny Tai, a ineligible scholar accused of orchestrating the primaries, activist Joshua Wong, and experienced absorption lawmakers Claudia Mo, Helena Wong, Kwok Ka-ki, and Leung Kwok-hung, popularly known arsenic "Long Hair”.

Mo, a erstwhile journalist, is simply a well-known dependable for ideology portion Leung has been a fixture successful the city’s governmental opposition.

A younger procreation of activists specified arsenic Owen Chow, Ventus Lau, and Tiffany Yuen gained designation for their vocal advocacy. Chow and Lau were progressive successful a defining infinitesimal of the 2019 protests erstwhile hundreds of radical stormed the Legislative Council chamber, defacing the emblem of Hong Kong successful what they claimed was an enactment of defiance against Beijing’s tightening grip, the BBC reported.

The radical besides includes individuals who were not progressive successful authorities earlier 2019 but motivated by the protests that twelvemonth to act. Social idiosyncratic Hendrick Lui, entrepreneur Mike Lam and erstwhile caregiver Winnie Yu are among those who transitioned from their nonrecreational roles into activism.

Two members of “Hong Kong 47” were acquitted earlier this year. Laurence Lau, a barrister and erstwhile territory councillor, and Lee Yue-shun, different erstwhile territory councillor, were cleared of the charges successful May.

Tai received the harshest condemnation of 10 years arsenic judges described him arsenic the "mastermind" of a strategy to undermine the metropolis government’s authority. The instrumentality prof roseate to prominence successful 2014 erstwhile helium founded Occupy Central movement, which called for escaped and just elections successful Hong Kong. He was imprisoned successful 2019 for his relation successful the Occupy Central protest.

Wong, 28, a salient look of the 2019 protests was sentenced to implicit 4 years aft pleading guilty. The tribunal ruled that his erstwhile convictions demonstrated helium was “not of bully character”.

He was the look of the 2014 Umbrella Movement, which had sprang up alongside the Occupy Central sit-in.

In 2019, Wong helped drum up overseas enactment for the protests. His activism resulted successful Beijing calling him arsenic an advocator of Hong Kong’s independency who had “begged for interference” from overseas forces.

Leung, 68, known for his governmental theatrics and hurling bananas arsenic a motion of protest, was jailed for six years and 9 months.

Gordon Ng, a dual national of Australia and Hong Kong, was sentenced to implicit 7 years, 1 of the longest presumption for those who pleaded not blameworthy and contested the charges. He was convicted successful May this year.

Former Stand News writer Gwyneth Ho, who planned to tally arsenic a campaigner successful the unofficial primaries, got 7 years aft pleading not guilty.

Mo, 67, a erstwhile legislator who did plead guilty, received 1 of the shortest sentences of 4 years and 2 months. The judges held that she was an “active participant” successful the strategy but gave her a comparatively lenient condemnation aft taking her nationalist work into account.

The trial, which concluded this week, drew important nationalist attention. Long queues formed extracurricular the West Kowloon Magistrates Court arsenic supporters braved rainfall and constabulary searches to witnesser the proceedings.

The proceedings has reignited concerns astir Hong Kong’s diminishing freedoms. Critics reason the information instrumentality has been weaponised to suppress governmental opposition. Western governments and quality rights organisations person repeatedly criticised the law, calling it a instrumentality for eroding civilian liberties.

Hong Kong‘s past British governor, Chris Patten, said successful a connection that the sentencing was "not lone an affront to the radical of Hong Kong, but those who worth rights and freedoms astir the world".

He condemned the "sham" sentences, calling connected the British authorities not to let the substance to spell unnoticed.

The US Consulate successful Hong Kong said America powerfully condemned the sentences. "The defendants were aggressively prosecuted and jailed for peacefully participating successful mean governmental enactment protected nether Hong Kong‘s Basic Law," it said successful a statement.

Australian overseas curate Penny Wong expressed “grave concern” implicit Ng’s sentence, calling retired the wide exertion of the information law.

Authorities successful Beijing and Hong Kong, however, support the instrumentality has been indispensable successful restoring stableness aft the 2019 protests and warned against overseas “interference”.

Hong Kong caput for information Chris Tang said successful a quality briefing that the sentences showed those committing nationalist information crimes indispensable beryllium severely punished.

Additional reporting by agencies.