Jimmy Lai has worn many hats in Hong Kong. As a preteen, he was a refugee fleeing the Communist mainland. Heâs been an odd-job factory worker, a successful businessman, a media mogul, and one of Hong Kongâs loudest voices against encroaching control from Beijing. And now, heâs one of the highest-profile figures arrested under the new national security law â a bellwether for where Chinaâs crackdown, and the pro-democracy movement, go from here.
But Mr. Lai himself isnât going anywhere. A billionaire and British citizen, he could have left Hong Kong for a life in exile, friends and acquaintances say. He stayed. On Friday, he was sentenced to 14 months behind bars for taking part in two protests in 2019, during a mass movement to maintain and expand Hong Kongâs autonomy. The same day, his trial began for alleged violations of the sweeping national security law, which could see him jailed for life.Â
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Posted: Apr 03, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: April 3
Pro-democracy activist Lee Cheuk-yan arrives at the West Kowloon Courts for verdicts in a landmark unlawful assembly case, in Hong Kong, China on Thursday. He was among seven veteran protesters found guilty of unauthorized assembly in August 2019, the latest blow to the city s beleaguered democracy movement.(Tyrone Siu/Reuters)
They ve seen it coming for months, perhaps years, but this week s official crackdown on democratic rights by China surprised even battle-weary veterans of Hong Kong s opposition movement.
Many have been thrown in jail, including seven who were convicted on Wednesday for organizing protests in 2019.
Legal Challenges Look to Advance LGBTQ+ Rights in Hong Kong thediplomat.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thediplomat.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In Hong Kong, âone unpatriotic politician is too many,â Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of Beijingâs Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, told a press conference Friday.
It was one day after Chinaâs parliament had rubber-stamped a sweeping overhaul of Hong Kongâs electoral system â the biggest change since 1997, when Beijing regained sovereignty over the former British colony. The revamping effectively excludes pro-democracy candidates, part of a broader tightening of controls after two years of mass protests in the city of 7.5 million people.Â
Why We Wrote This
Sweeping changes in Hong Kong aim to put patriots in charge. But what is patriotism? Beijingâs definition contrasts sharply with many Hong Kongersâ.