Court convicts alliance leaders in subversion incitement case
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
West Kowloon Court on Friday, August 21, found the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, former chairperson Lee Cheuk-yan and former vice-chairperson Chow Hang-tung guilty of inciting others to subvert state power . In a Chinese-language judgment summary, the three-judge panel said the defendants had long harboured hostility toward the Chinese Communist Party and the central government it leads, and had adhered to a confrontational, non-compromising line . The court held that, after the Hong Kong National Security Law came into force, the defendants did not genuinely believe their conduct was lawful but instead refused to pull back and persisted in the Alliance’s stance . It also ruled that the slogan “end one-party dictatorship” did not mean a natural end, but carried the meaning of overthrowing and undermining the Party’s leadership .
Key Points
- The court said it reviewed public statements by Lee Cheuk-yan, Ho Chun-yan and Chow Hang-tung, plus Alliance reports, website material, YouTube videos and Facebook posts .
- Judges found the Alliance’s objective was not to seek a return to constitutional multi-party cooperation, but to end the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership status under the Constitution .
- The judgment said the defendants kept promoting “end one-party dictatorship” after the national security law, and linked the 1989 events with the 2019 anti-extradition protests .
- Although the Alliance had not used or advocated violence, the court held its continued platform amounted to “other unlawful means” under the national security law .
- The court said Ho Chun-yan, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung were the Alliance’s “directing mind and will”, so their intent and acts were attributable to the group .
Why It Matters
The ruling sets out how Hong Kong courts may interpret political advocacy against the constitutional order, especially where no violence is alleged but judges find an intention to undermine the state system . For Hong Kong readers, it also clarifies that the court views the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership as part of the constitutional “fundamental system”, making challenges to that status legally high-risk under the national security framework .