Hong Kong Tiananmen vigil trial nears end as activists defend free speech

The landmark trial of Tiananmen vigil activists Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan is nearing its end in Hong Kong. Both defendants and prosecutors have delivered their closing arguments in a case that centers on charges of "inciting subversion" under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

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We say that their behaviour had crossed the line. Freedom is not absolute.

Lee's defense lawyer argued that calls to "end one-party rule" in China should be considered legitimate political expressions, stating there was no evidence the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, a now-defunct group co-founded by Lee and Chow, had ever proposed an action plan to topple the Chinese Communist Party. The prosecution, however, contended that the activists' behavior crossed the line of freedom of expression and intended to stoke hatred against Beijing.

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Ending one-party rule means putting an end to the status quo, in which those in power are not bound by the law.

Chow, representing herself, urged the court to safeguard the law's dignity and warned judges against becoming "accomplices" in a government crackdown on free speech. She framed the case as a question of whether the law protects the "perpetual rule" of the CCP or the rights of people to advocate for democracy. The Alliance's senior counsel also argued that the prosecution failed to present evidence of incitement to subversion.

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What did the Alliance do to incite people to subvert state power? I have heard nothing on this after sitting here for so long.

The trial unfolds against a backdrop of increasing government spending on the national security fund and criticism of Hong Kong's low ranking on press freedom indexes. The Hong Kong Alliance disbanded in 2021 after authorities banned the vigil for two consecutive years.

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In the past 30 years, there has been no evidence showing that any person acted under the Alliance’s specific instruction.