Hong Kong vigil organizer says she was seeking democracy, not end to Communist Party rule

In a significant legal proceeding unfolding in Hong Kong, prominent activist Chow Hang-tung defended herself in court Friday against serious national security charges, arguing that her pro-democracy group’s longstanding call to “end one-party rule” in China was a push for democratization, not the overthrow of the Communist Party.

Chow, a barrister and former leader of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, faces charges of inciting subversion under the controversial national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. The law, which carries penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment, has been widely criticized for effectively silencing political dissent in the city.

“The alliance’s position is not to end the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership, but to end one-party dictatorship,” Chow told the court, drawing a distinction central to her defense. She emphasized that democracy was the core concept behind her organization’s activities and statements.

The prosecution has built its case around the alliance’s demand for “ending one-party rule,” arguing this constitutes a call to end the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership – an action they claim violates China’s constitution and could only be achieved through unlawful means.

Fellow defendant Lee Cheuk-yan, another former alliance leader, also pleaded not guilty to the same charge. However, a third defendant, Albert Ho, entered a guilty plea on Thursday, potentially reducing his eventual sentence. The court heard that Ho had previously stated in 2018 that the alliance’s call was not to eliminate the Chinese Communist Party, suggesting instead that the party could maintain its ruling position through fair elections.

The case centers on an organization that held profound historical significance in Hong Kong’s civil society. For three decades, the Hong Kong Alliance organized the territory’s annual vigil commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing – the only large-scale public commemoration of the event permitted on Chinese soil.

These candlelight vigils regularly drew tens of thousands of participants to Victoria Park, creating a sea of flickering lights in remembrance of those who died during the military action in Beijing. The alliance also advocated for “building a democratic China” as part of its mission.

However, authorities banned the vigil during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the alliance voted to disband in September 2021 after its leaders faced prosecution under the national security law. Beijing has consistently defended the law as necessary for restoring stability following massive anti-government protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019.

The disappearance of the annual vigil has become a powerful symbol of Hong Kong’s changing political landscape. In a striking contrast, this past June 4th – the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown – the traditional vigil site was instead occupied by a carnival organized by pro-Beijing groups.

Chow is currently seeking to introduce expert testimony from a Taiwan-based scholar addressing the definition of democracy and whether democratization necessarily involves unlawful means. The judges are expected to rule on Monday whether to admit this evidence.

Political observers and human rights organizations have pointed to cases like Chow’s as indicators of the dramatic decline in political freedoms in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under the “one country, two systems” framework. While Hong Kong was designated a “special administrative region” with a degree of autonomy, critics argue Beijing has increasingly asserted control over the territory’s governance and legal system.

Hong Kong authorities maintain their law enforcement actions are evidence-based and strictly in accordance with the law, while Beijing continues to defend the national security legislation as essential to the territory’s long-term stability and prosperity.