Hong Kong court convicts 14 pro-democracy activists, acquits 2
NPR Online NewsMay 19
Hong Kong Convicts 14 Activists
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The Facts
A Hong Kong court Thursday convicted 14 activists on national security charges for their role in an unofficial primary election in June 2020.
Those found guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion included former politicians Leung Kwok-hung and Raymond Chan. Two former district councilors, Lee Yue-shun and Lawrence Lau, were acquitted.
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
Despite Hong Kong authorities in 2019, with Beijing's backing, suppressing pro-democracy protests using police brutality and new laws, and claiming normalcy had returned, arrests for "seditious" attire and the trial of 47 activists challenge this view. The fight for Hong Kong's true history and civic freedoms will continue.
Pro-China narrative
Hong Kong residents who demand a more Western-style government and an end to the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration threaten China's sovereignty. Much of this is due to the hegemonic meddling of Western powers, and incorrectly romanticizing the days of the UK's colonial rule in Hong Kong.