Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigil activist admits subversion, 2 deny national security charges

A former vice-chairman of the group behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil is facing up to 10 years in jail after he admitted advocating an end to Communist Party rule in mainland China in breach of the national security law.Former opposition lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan, 74, on Thursday pleaded guilty to inciting subversion for promoting an end to “one-party dictatorship”, one of the five operational objectives of the now-disbanded China" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="16309" data-entity-type="organization">Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.On the first day of the high-profile trial at West Kowloon Court, deputy director of public prosecutions Ned Lai Ka-yee said Ho and his accomplices continued pursuing the alliance’s causes after the city adopted the national security law in June 2020, including by appealing for donations and holding exhibitions at a now-closed June 4 museum.The group also provoked public hatred and disaffection towards the regime by spreading negative information about the nation under the guise of promoting democracy and commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown, according to prosecutors.Since 1990, the alliance had held an annual candlelight vigil in Victoria Park on June 4 to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing, which was the only large-scale public commemoration on Chinese soil.Ho is among three former alliance leaders accused of violating the Beijing-decreed legislation.Former chairman Lee Cheuk-yan, 68, and vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung, 40, on Thursday confirmed they denied the incitement offence, having previously indicated their intention to contest the charge.