A Hong Kong court has dismissed a former Tiananmen vigil organizer’s appeal to overturn her indictment, moving forward with a significant case that many observers see as a continuation of the city’s extensive suppression of its pro-democracy movement.
Chow Hang-tung, a former leader of the now-disbanded group responsible for organizing the annual vigil commemorating China’s 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, was charged in 2021 with inciting subversion. This serious offense carries a potential life imprisonment sentence. She was indicted alongside two other former leaders of the group, Albert Ho and Lee Cheuk-yan.
Their prosecution falls under the national security law, which Beijing imposed in 2020 to stifle the widespread anti-government protests of 2019. The accusations allege that the trio incited others to challenge the Communist Party’s leadership through illegal means.
Chow, a barrister representing herself, argued that the indictment was unacceptably vague, as authorities failed to specify what constituted ‘unlawful means,’ potentially making it a ‘catch-all charge.’ Prosecutor Ned Lai countered that ‘unlawful means’ referred to actions against the Chinese constitution, which defines the Party’s leadership as fundamental to ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics’ and prohibits actions that undermine the socialist system.
The three-judge panel, appointed by the government to oversee the case, ruled against Chow. Judge Alex Lee stated that the panel would issue a formal opinion in January. Despite the decision, Ms. Chow appeared composed, offering a smile to the public gallery before exiting the courtroom.
For decades, the Tiananmen vigil, organized by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, served as the sole large-scale public remembrance of the 1989 crackdown within China’s territories. However, authorities banned it in 2020, citing pandemic-related restrictions.
The Alliance faced growing pressure as police launched an investigation, alleging it acted as a foreign agent—a claim the group denied while refusing to cooperate. Subsequently, Chow, Ho, and Lee were charged with violating the National Security Law.
In 2021, the Alliance members ultimately voted to disband the organization.
Chow and two other key members were previously convicted in 2023 for failing to provide information to authorities, each receiving a four-and-a-half-month sentence. However, in March of the same year, the trio successfully overturned these convictions at the city’s highest court, a rare victory for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists.
The national security trial is scheduled to begin on January 22.
In a stark contrast to past commemorations, the park that once hosted the vigil has since been used for a carnival showcasing Chinese food and products on the Tiananmen anniversary, following the lifting of pandemic-era gathering restrictions.
Fernando Cheung, spokesperson for Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas, condemned the court’s recent decision, stating it demonstrates how authorities are ‘weaponising the overly broad concept of national security’ to suppress freedom of expression with impunity. He further emphasized that commemorating the Tiananmen crackdown should never lead to prosecution and called for the release of all individuals detained for peacefully exercising their right to free expression.
The Hong Kong Government maintains that the city’s security law was necessary to restore stability after the 2019 protests.