Three pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have been arrested and sentenced to prison over protests that started in Hong Kong last year.
Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam have been served 13.5 months, 10 months and 7 months in prison, respectively, “for inciting, organising or participating in an unlawful assembly at Hong Kong police headquarters.”
For Mr Wong who has served several sentences for protest-related convictions this is not a new experience. However, it was reported that Mr Wong spent three days in solitary confinement with the lights on throughout the period, making it impossible for him to sleep. In a handwritten letter which surfaced on social media, the activist describes the experience as “…hard to endure.”
Why This Matters
This move comes after 15 pro-democracy lawmakers resigned in November in solidarity with their colleagues who were forced out from the local legislature. The widespread crackdown in Hong Kong implies the government in Beijing has only one business with the semi-autonomous territory, to crush dissent and close every space where the opposition can thrive.
The security law passed in Hong Kong in July following protests which broke out last year further cements the Beijing agenda. The security law which gives authorities sweeping powers to suppress individuals who support the independence of Hong Kong was used in removing lawmakers Dennis Kwok, Alvin Yeung, Kenneth Leung, and Kwok Ka-ki.
What Next for Hong Kong?
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, under the influence of Beijing, postponed Legislative Council elections by a year in June, a move which signalled the government of Beijing was gaining a foothold in Hong Kong. The ousting of pro-democracy lawmakers is another big move on the legislative arm of the leadership in Hong Kong. it is expected that Beijing will move to the judiciary next.
“Beijing and its supporters have also raised pressure on Hong Kong’s independent court system and on news outlets that strike a defiant tone,” Austin Ramzy et al wrote in The New York Times. This could be the beginning of the end of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle between the two regions.
