In the afternoon of April 16, nine pro-democracy activists, including Lai Chi-ying, were sentenced in the “8-18 rally” case in Hong Kong. The picture shows Li Zhuming walking out of the courtroom.
On April 16, a Hong Kong court sentenced nine pro-democracy activists to 8 to 18 months in prison for participating in an unauthorized rally last August, with four of them serving suspended sentences. Among the nine were Lee Chu-ming and Yeung Sum, founders of the Hong Kong Democratic Party; Ng Ai-yee, founder of the Civic Party; Albert Ho, a deep-pocketed human rights lawyer; Lee Cheuk-yan, chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China; and Lai Chi-ying, chairman of One Media, the only media left in Hong Kong that speaks out for democracy.
These nine predecessors of the pro-democracy movement are now in their twilight years. They have fought tirelessly for free elections and speech for decades, and they are already icons of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. Following the prosecution of 47 pro-democracy activists under the National Security Law two months ago, and now the sentencing of nine pro-democracy activists, the Chinese Communist Party has made it clear that it wants to stifle the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. Through mass arrests and imprisonments, the Chinese Communist Party wants to remove the remnants of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
The Vancouver Support Group (VSCG) strongly condemns the Chinese Communist Party’s move to sentence former members of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement. The Chinese Communist Party’s actions demonstrate that it will not abide by the Sino-British Joint Declaration and will not listen to international opposition. The Canadian government should take practical action, including sanctioning Chinese and Hong Kong officials for enforcing national security laws; demanding that the International Olympic Committee move the 2022 Winter Olympics out of Beijing; and boycotting the Beijing Winter Olympics.
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