Chow Hang-tung shows once again that she is a woman of courage and principle even while Hong Kong reveals once more that it is not a normal place

Chow Hang-tung in better times (Photo of her that was

part of the Focus on the Frontlines 2021 exhibition)
 

Two Saturdays ago, lawyer-human rights activist Chow Hang-tung and two fellow Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China standing committee members, Tang Ngok-kwan and Tsui Hon-kwong, were found guilty by a national security law judge of failing to comply with a notice from the national security police demanding information, including personal information about standing committee members and staffers.  This weekend, the former members of the now defunct group that used to organize Hong Kong's annual June 4th vigils were sentenced to jail for four and a half months.

 

Chow and co are appealing the verdict.  Somewhat surprisingly, he trio were granted bail pending appeal.  In an action that might also raise eyebrows, Chow refused to be bailed.  The reason why though is entirely in keeping with what we have come to know about this courageous, principled woman: "she didn’t accept a bail condition that would restrict her speech." 

 

Yesterday, Chow made a statement in court to the presiding judge that brought to mind fellow pro-democracy Hong Kong lawyer Margaret Ng's  "I stand the law’s good servant but the people’s first" speech from close to two years ago.  It's available to view in full in both Traditional Chinese and English, and has sections that I think are very much worth quoting:

Your Worship, we know as a matter of fact that we are no foreign agent, and nothing has emerged in this year long ordeal that proves otherwise. To sentence us in such circumstances is about punishing people for defending the truth.

The truth is that national security is being used as a hollow pretext to wage an all out war on civil society. The truth is that our movement for human rights and democracy is home grown and not some sinister foreign implant. The truth is that people here have a voice of their own that will not be silenced.

The Alliance is no stranger to the cost of speaking truth to power. We should know as we have been guarding the truth of the Tiananmen Massacre for over 30 years and have campaigned for many of those jailed and harassed and humiliated for telling that truth. We have long been prepared to pay the price.

With the notices and the degrading designation as foreign agent, the government was effectively saying to us, bend your knees, betray your friends, betray your cause, accept the state’s absolute authority to know all and decide all, and you shall have peace.

What we are saying with our action is simply one word: NEVER. An unjust peace is no peace at all. Never will we surrender our independence from the state. Never will we help delegitimise our own movement by endorsing the government’s false narrative. Never will we treat ourselves and our friends as potential criminals just because the government says we are.

Instead we will continue doing what we have always done, that is to fight falsehood with truth, indignity with dignity, secrecy with openness, madness with reason, division with solidarity. We will fight these injustices wherever we must, be it on the streets, in the courtroom, or from a prison cell. This battle including what we have done in this case, is a battle we have to fight, here in this city we call home. For our freedom to be ourselves is at stake. For the future of our city - and even of the wider world - is at stake...

Sir, sentence us for our insubordination if you must, but when the exercise of power is based on lies, being insubordinate is the only way to be human. This is my submission.

Also yesterday: Elizabeth Tang (who was arrested on the national security law charge of "colluding with foreign forces" this past Thursday) has been freed on bail. But don't celebrate just yet: the bail's a hefty HK$500,000 and she also had to surrender her passport.  

 

For the record: "She [has] said she did not expect [to be arrested] when she returned to HK and she does not understand why her work would endanger national security."  And I'm sure she most certainly did not expect what would happen just a few hours afterwards: that is, the national security police proceeded to arrested her sister and also her lawyer "on suspicion of “conspiracy to pervert the course of justice” for “taking away exhibits” in Tang’s case""!

 

As a member of the Hong Kong Twitterati was moved to Tweet this afternoon: "[R]eally feels like they've dialled up the prosecution efforts this week or something, wtf."  This upon reading "a report that the home/office of a person that works in media was served with a search warrant last night relating to interview footage of persons associated with the 2019 protest movement."

 

Honestly, it's not like we needed further proof that Hong Kong is NOT back. Or if this is what the authorities mean by "normal", I don't think many peoople consider this to contribute to the making of a "Happy Hong Kong".  Also, Hello Hong Kong? Surely not if people are getting arrested seemingly daily for alleged crimes many are not even just denying they have committed but also don't actually know what "wrong" they did to deserve getting arrested!