Ben Chung Kam-lun served as a Sai Kung district councilor since 2011 and was elected as the chairperson in 2019. Chung also served as the deputy convenor of Power for Democracy (民主動力), one of the coordinating organizations of the pro-democracy camp's primaries in July 2020. [1] As a result, Chung was among the "Hong Kong 47" who were charged with violating the National Security Law. He was sentenced to 6 years and 1 month in jail on Nov. 19, 2024.

Chung graduated from Lingnan University with a degree in Cultural Studies and has been active in politics since the age of 12, starting as a volunteer for Sai Kung District Councillor Gary Fan (范國威). He helped founded the Hong Kong Secondary Students Union after the large-scale demonstration on July 1, 2003, and became the chair in 2006. Originally a member of the Democratic Party, he left with Fan in 2011 over disagreements about the party’s constitutional reform deal with Beijing and cofounded the Neo Democrats (新民主同盟) with other former members. [2]

At the age of 22, Chung was elected by the Yan Ying (欣英) constituent to the Sai Kung District Council as a first-time candidate and the youngest winner in the 2011 District Council election. [3] He was re-elected in 2015 and 2019 and became the council's chairperson in 2019. [4]

As the deputy convenor of Power for Democracy, Chung co-organized the pro-democracy camp's primaries in July 2020 for the 2020 Legislative Council. [5] He was arrested on Jan. 6, 2021, alongside 54 other pro-democracy figures, for allegedly violating the National Security Law due to his involvement. 47 of them were officially charged with conspiracy to commit subversion on Feb. 28, 2021. [6] He was denied bail twice and has remained in custody since February 2021.  [7][8] 

While still in detention, Chung quit Neo Democrats on March 19, 2021, and resigned from his position as a district councilor and the council's chair on May 10, 2021. [9][10] He later pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him and became an accomplice witness, testifying for the prosecution against his co-defendants. [11]

On Nov. 19, 2024, the court ruled that Chung was considered one of the primary organizers of the primary election, hence he was given a starting point for sentencing at 12 years. Given mitigating factors, including his guilty plea, his testimony for the prosecution, and prior public services, he was ultimately sentenced to 6 years and 1 month in prison. [x]