Two Hong Kongers accused of being part of a group that campaigned for international sanctions against China yesterday pleaded guilty under the territory’s National Security Law in a case that is linked to jailed pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai (黎智英).
China imposed the sweeping security legislation last year to wipe out dissent after Hong Kong was rocked by huge and often violent democracy protests.
More than 130 people, including many of Hong Kong’s best-known democracy advocates, have since been arrested under the law.
Photo: Reuters
Democracy activist Andy Li (李宇軒), 31, and paralegal Chan Tsz-wah (陳梓華), 30, admitted to a charge of “colluding with foreign forces to endanger China’s national security.”
Prosecutors said they were part of a group that organized the publishing of adverts and articles in overseas newspapers calling for sanctions against China.
They were in custody ahead of their plea.
Little has been heard in open court about the case against the duo, but they are part of a group of people linked to Lai, who is facing the same national security charge.
Authorities have accused Lai, 73, of running a “criminal syndicate” that lobbied for international sanctions against China over its crackdown in Hong Kong.
At yesterday’s hearing, prosecutors read out a summary of the allegations against the two defendants. In it, they accused Lai and his American aide, Mark Simon, of being “masterminds and financial support behind the scene and at the highest level of the syndicate.”
Chan allegedly delivered Lai and Simon’s instructions to Li.
Simon left Hong Kong last year and has previously described the prosecution against Lai and others as a political witch hunt against Beijing’s critics.
In an e-mail, he said he believed that Li and Chan “are making statements under great duress, with questionable legal representation, and with Andy still having charges in China over his head.”
Lai’s newspaper Apple Daily closed in June after authorities used the security law to freeze its assets over the content of the tabloid’s reporting.
Li was one of 12 Hong Kongers who last year made a failed attempt to flee Hong Kong by speedboat for Taiwan.
They were intercepted by the Chinese coast guard and held in detention until their conviction at a closed hearing for illegal border crossing.
The group were eventually returned to Hong Kong custody.
Charges of Li and Chan assisting offenders over the fugitives case have been shelved by the prosecution as the pair pleaded guilty to the collusion offenses.
They were remanded back into custody following their plea with the next hearing scheduled for January.
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
ONE LAST TALK: While Xi said that Taiwan was a ‘red line,’ Biden, in what is likely his last meeting with Xi as president, called for an end to China’s military activity around Taiwan China’s military intimidation and economic coercion against Taiwan are the main causes of tensions that are destabilizing peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taipei said yesterday while thanking US President Joe Biden for expressing Washington’s firm stance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) met on Saturday for their third meeting and their first talks in seven months on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Lima, Peru. It was likely Biden’s last meeting as president with Xi. During their conversation, Biden reiterated the US’ opposition to any unilateral change to the “status quo” from either
Taiwan would participate in the 2026 APEC summit to be hosted by China after Beijing promised it would ensure the personal safety of attendees, Taiwanese national security sources said yesterday. The APEC Leaders’ Machu Picchu Declaration announced yesterday said that China would host the APEC summit in 2026. Beijing proposed hosting the summit shortly before this year’s gathering began on Friday, a national security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many APEC members expressed concerns about China hosting the event and said that prior communication over the decision was insufficient, the official said. Taiwan brought up concerns about legal “guidelines” China announced in
MEET AND GREET: The White House, which called the interaction ‘just a handshake,’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden planned to visit Taiwan’s envoy to the APEC summit, Lin Hsin-i (林信義), on Friday invited US President Joe Biden to visit Taiwan. During the APEC Leaders’ Informal Dialogue, Lin, who represented President William Lai (賴清德) at the summit, spoke with Biden and expressed gratitude to the outgoing US president for his contribution to improving bilateral ties between Taipei and Washington over the past four years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Lin and Biden exchanged views during the conversation, with Lin extending an invitation to Biden to visit Taiwan, it said. Biden is to step down in January next year, when US president-elect Donald Trump is
RSS