A Hong Kong court convicts 2 journalists in a landmark sedition case
NPR Online NewsAug 29
Hong Kong: Man Jailed for Wearing 'Seditious' T-Shirt
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Above: 34th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown with heightened police presence in Hong Kong on June 4, 2023. Image copyright: Simon Jankowski/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The Facts
Hong Kong resident Chu Kai-pong, 27, has been handed a 14-month prison sentence for wearing a t-shirt and a mask sporting protest slogans deemed seditious by the city's court.
Chu was detained on June 12 donning a t-shirt with the protest slogan "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" and a mask with "FDNOL" — an abbreviation for another protest slogan, "Five demands, not one less" — written on it.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
Chu had planned to incite ordinary citizens to use illegal means to challenge the country's fundamental system, revive the idea of the unrest, and cause a significant risk to social order. He knew the slogans called for the separation of Hong Kong from China and the city's return to British rule. The legal system had to intervene to protect society from falling into chaos again.
Anti-China narrative
Chu's conviction is a blatant attack on the right to freedom of expression and highlights the sheer malice of Hong Kong's new national security law — passed by the PRC to stifle free speech and curb dissent further. The city must reverse this sentencing and consider repealing the law that erodes freedoms and silences critics under the pretext of protecting national security.
