Hong Kong activist convicted of contempt of Chinese flag

A young Hong Kong activist was found guilty on Friday (December 11) of contempt of the Chinese flag and illegal assembly.

The pro-Beijing authorities of the semi-autonomous territory have been increasing the number of prosecutions against dissidents and detractors of Beijing in the former British colony in recent months.

Last week, three notorious pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam were sentenced to prison.

Read also: Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai indicted under the National Security Act

Tony Chung, 19, led a now disbanded group calling for Hong Kong's independence.

He was found guilty of throwing down a Chinese flag during clashes in front of the local parliament (Legco) in May 2019. “

There was no question that the actions of the accused openly desecrate the national flag.

He came back and jumped to throw the flag, which allowed more people to see what he did,

”Magistrate Peony Wong said.

Mr. Chung was arrested at the end of October by plainclothes police a few meters from the American consulate, he has since been in pre-trial detention.

According to a group calling itself "

Friends of Hong Kong

", the young activist was arrested by the police that day because he wanted to seek asylum at the US consulate in Hong Kong.

On Friday, he did not plead guilty of contempt of the flag and illegal assembly, facts punishable by three to five respectively in detention.

His sentence will be pronounced on December 29.

“

The Hong Kong people are holding on,

” Chung told his supporters in court.

The young activist is also the first person to be prosecuted under the new national security law imposed in June by Beijing on Hong Kong to suppress the protest movement that shook the city in 2019. He is thus accused of secession, this which could earn him a sentence of life imprisonment, money laundering and conspiracy to publish seditious material.

After this indictment, the former leader of the “

Student Localism

” group must be taken into custody pending trial for having violated the national security law.

Read also: Hong Kong: China announces counter-sanctions against the USA

The contempt of the flag took place in May 2019 in front of the Hong Kong parliament during clashes between pro and anti-Beijing activists as pro-democracy MPs tried to prevent the passage of a controversial bill on extraditions, since abandoned.

In a video shown during his trial, Mr. Chung holds up a Chinese flag he stole from a pro-Beijing activist before throwing it over his shoulder.

The prosecution accused him of willful contempt, which Mr. Chung rejected, saying he was unaware that it was a Chinese flag.

The magistrate, Ms. Wong, said she did not agree that he did not know that the red fabric was the Chinese flag, believing it was clearly seen waving by the pro-Beijing camp during the clashes.

Mr. Chung's next court appearance for violating the National Security Law is scheduled for January 7.