Yet another sad day involving guilty verdicts and arrests in Hong Kong

 

A banner which was hanging in Taikoo Shing for 

the better part of this year but no longer

 

More than two years after 51-year-old Joe Chen attacked three people with a knife and bit off the ear of pro-democracy politician Andrew Chiu, he was found guilty of three counts of wounding, inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and a count of common assault by a jury yesterday.  Although his lawyers had argued that he had done so under the influence of alcohol (and insinuated that his drunkeness was to blame for his violent behavior), high court judge Judianna Barnes noted that Chiu's testimony included the information that Chen had a different political stance from most people at the scene.  

A recap:on the evening that Joe Chen carried out his acts of violence outside the Cityplaza mall in Tai Koo Shing, a pro-democracy protest had taken place inside of it that was broken up by riot police.  And on the very evening itself, it had been reported that "he had been arguing in support of Beijing with bystanders and spoke Mandarin".  It thus is the case that Joe Chen is one of the rare pro-Beijingers who has had a court decision go against him -- and I get the feeling it's not entirely coincidental that his was a trial by jury (unlike, say, the trials of every national security law defendant to date, including Tong Ying-kit -- who had sought but failed to have a jury for his trial).  

Something else I think worth pointing out about this affair: Andrew Chiu wasn't initially involved in it but had stepped in to try to stop Joe Chen's attacks on the other three victims.  Put another way: the then district councillor put his body on the line to protect others.  A reminder: we also saw the likes of Wu Chi-wai, Ted Hui and Eddie Chu Hoi-dick do so at extradition bill-turned-pro-democracy protests. A question: can you imagine any of the 2021 LegCo hopefuls doing the same (for us)?  

 

Another pro-democracy personality who would be a worthy candidate for a profile in courage is the man who celebrated his 74th birthday behind bars yesterday: Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai.  Sadly, more bad news came his way this morning when judge Amanda Woodcock found him, Chow Hang-tung and Gwyneth Ho guilty of taking part in and inciting an "unauthorized assembly" at Victoria Park on June 4th last year.  

 

For many of us, the guilty verdict was not unexpected (especially given who the presiding judge was) but no less sad to learn.  For, as the AFP report (which appears in The Guardian, among other publications) notes: "Lai, Chow and Ho are among dozens of activists already behind bars facing separate prosecutions under a strict national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in the wake of huge and often violent democracy protests two years ago"; and "their prosecution is the latest illustration of how much the gap has narrowed between Hong Kong and the mainland, where authorities have long sought to scrub memories and official records of Tiananmen."   

 

Something else that's been pointed out in the wake of this verdict: its showing up secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs Erick Tsang's assertion just a few days ago that “To suggest that “Hong Kongers risk harsh penalties if they protest in public” is not only incorrect but also scaremongering” to be a bald-faced lie.  And if you're Jimmy Lai, you don't even have to say anything to have been judged guilty of inciting people; this despite it having been stated in a previous Hong Kong legal ruling that "Incitement requires that there be actual communication.” (as pointed out by Samuel Bickett -- who, remember, is a trained lawyer).

 

Adding to today being a bad day for, and in, Hong Kong, news came late in the day of the arrest of three other people on suspicion of inciting people not to vote, or to cast invalid ballots, in the upcoming Legislative Council elections whose candidates all have had to be adjudged to be "patriots" (i.e., pro-Beijingers) in order be allowed to run.  (Last month, another three people had been arrested for this same "crime" and warrants issued for two exiled politicians for urging people to cast blank ballots this December 19th.)  

 

In point of fact, what the six people arrested (thus far) in Hong Kong for alleged blank ballot calls actually appear to have just done is share Ted Hui's message regarding what to do on December 19th on social media.  And yes, this begs the question: "How far are we to being arrested for “liking” [those same or similar posts]?"!