Hong Kong Man Chu Kai-pong Convicted for Wearing Protest T-Shirt
Chu Kai-pong, a 27-year-old man from Hong Kong, has pleaded guilty to sedition for wearing a T-shirt with a protest slogan. This marks the first conviction under the city’s new national security law, which was passed in March.
Chu was arrested on June 12 while wearing a T-shirt with the slogan ‘Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times’ and a yellow mask with ‘FDNOL,’ an abbreviation for ‘five demands, not one less.’ These slogans were prominent during the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
Chu faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, which could extend to ten years if he is found to have colluded with foreign forces.
The National Security Law (NSL) for Hong Kong, enacted by the Chinese central government on July 1, 2020, has significantly changed the territory’s legal and political landscape. In March 2024, Hong Kong passed a second new security law, known as ‘Article 23.’
Critics, including the US government, have expressed concerns that the new security law’s vaguely defined provisions regarding ‘sedition’ could be used to curb dissent. They argue that the NSL undermines the ‘one country, two systems’ framework, which was intended to preserve Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy until 2047.
Under the NSL, both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments have acted swiftly to eliminate civil liberties in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government has increasingly misused a broadly defined colonial-era sedition law to suppress peaceful expression. This law has been employed against children’s book authors, academics, individuals who distributed pro-independence flyers, and even those who clapped during the trial of a pro-democracy activist.
The complex issues between Hong Kong and China trace back to their historical relationship and the handover of sovereignty. Hong Kong was a British colony from the 19th century until 1997, when sovereignty was transferred to China under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework. This arrangement was designed to allow Hong Kong to maintain its separate legal and economic systems for 50 years, preserving its distinctive freedoms and autonomy. However, over time, tensions have escalated as Beijing’s influence has grown, leading to significant disputes over political freedoms and governance.
Doubts Revealed
Hong Kong -: Hong Kong is a special region in China. It used to be a British colony but was returned to China in 1997.
Chu Kai-pong -: Chu Kai-pong is a 27-year-old man from Hong Kong who got into trouble for wearing a T-shirt with a protest message.
sedition -: Sedition means actions or words that encourage people to rebel against the government. In this case, Chu was accused of sedition for wearing a protest T-shirt.
national security law -: The national security law is a new rule in Hong Kong that aims to stop actions that the government thinks are dangerous, like protests or speaking against the government.
arrested -: Arrested means being taken by the police because they think you did something wrong. Chu was arrested for wearing a protest T-shirt.
colluding with foreign forces -: Colluding with foreign forces means working secretly with people from other countries to do something against your own country. Chu could face more jail time if found guilty of this.
dissent -: Dissent means disagreeing with the government or its policies. The new law in Hong Kong is making it harder for people to show their dissent.
autonomy -: Autonomy means having the freedom to govern yourself. Hong Kong has some autonomy from China under a system called ‘one country, two systems’.
one country, two systems -: ‘One country, two systems’ is a rule that allows Hong Kong to have its own laws and government, separate from China, even though it is part of China.