This blog is authored by Chloe Cheung, Communications and Media Assistant at the CFHK Foundation.
A sombre Hong Kong courtroom witnessed a dark milestone this week with the sentencing of the majority of the "Hong Kong 47"— pro-democracy activists whose only “crime” was dreaming of democracy and daring to hope for a freer future.
The Hong Kong 47 were charged with subversion under the Hong Kong National Security Law for organising and participating in a peaceful “unofficial” democratic primary.
More than 600,000 of Hong Kong’s seven-million-plus citizens cast ballots in the primary, which was suppose to choose which candidates could best represent the opposition to pro-Beijing rivals for the Legislative Council.
More than four years on those dreams are in tatters: Joshua Wong sentenced to four years and eight months, Gwyneth Ho to seven years, Owen Chow to seven years and five months, and Benny Tai to 10 years—sentences that, by comparison, seem almost merciful next to the life terms they might have received. But this is not justice; it is tyranny disguised as leniency.
Their imprisonment underlines the collapse of Hong Kong’s judicial independence, once a cornerstone of its global reputation. It sends a chilling message to anyone who dares to challenge the rule of the authorities: There is no room for dissent, no matter how peaceful or principled.
For some, the fact that most of these individuals received less than 10 years in prison – their sentences reduced in exchange for pleading guilty – may evoke a twisted sense of relief. But relief is not justice. Not one of the Hong Kong 47, nor any of the approximately 1,900 political prisoners who have been incarcerated in Hong Kong, should have spent even a single day behind bars.
When political prisoners are made to feel grateful for reduced sentences in cases where no crime was committed, we are normalising authoritarianism. We are lowering our collective standards for what justice should look like. That is the travesty of what has happened here; that it should not have happened at all.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping just one day before the sentencing of the Hong Kong 47. The timing, whether intentional or not, casts doubt on the strength of Britain’s commitment to upholding human rights in the region.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) issued a statement reassuring us that "The UK will always stand up for the people of Hong Kong." Thank you! But, with all due respect, much more needs to be done.
It is time to take real action—starting with removing the diplomatic privileges and immunities of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (HKETOs), institutions that were originally set up to demonstrate Hong Kong’s autonomy – an autonomy that no longer exists. We must also impose sanctions on the Hong Kong officials complicit in human rights abuses. Meanwhile, global leaders must make a concerted effort to demand physical access to political prisoners, including Jimmy Lai, a British citizen; Gordon Ng, an Australian passport holder; and Joseph John, a Portuguese passport holder.
The international community must not stand idly by as Hong Kong is engulfed by repression. We must hold Beijing accountable and refuse to allow Hong Kong’s struggle for freedom to become a footnote in history.
If we continue to tolerate the rise of authoritarianism without consequence, what message are we sending to the world?
This blog was originally published in German in Tagesspiegel here.
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