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We provide translation of news in English from local media and other sources, for academic use.
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#Perseverence
Arrested Pro-democracy Activist #ChowHangTung opposes Hong Kong Alliance’s disbandment: "I would choose not to lose, not to forget, not to give up, and to persevere until the last moment.”

Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho Chun-yan, chairman and former vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, who are currently detained, issued a joint open letter on September 17, 2021, stating that the best solution for the pro-democracy Alliance is to disband.

[Editor's note: After a special meeting on September 25, 2021, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China passed a motion to dissolve.

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/31135]

The Alliance had been the organizer of the annual June 4 Tiananmen Massacre Candlelight Vigil in Hong Kong's #VictoriaPark since 1990.

On September 23, 2021, an "Open Letter from Chow Hang-Tung to Hong Kong Alliance (before and after)" was published on Chow's personal Facebook page, stating that she cannot see the act of disbanding any help in continuing the Alliance's philosophy.

"Please oppose the dissolution motion and give the Alliance a chance to continue," Chow expressed despite being arrested and detained.

Chow, a barrister by profession, also pointed out, "The regime has chosen to annihilate us all, so we have to choose whether to persist until the end or to bail out before it’s too late. On this choice, I would choose not to lose, not to forget, not to give up, and to persevere until the last moment.”

Source: Stand News #Sept23
https://thestandnews.page.link/bEjeeCGyLUq7i5Zt8

#TonyeeChow #Disband #HKASPDMC #Alliance #NationalSecurityLaw #Unafraid #OpenLetter #Courage
#TonyeeChow #Court
Hong Kong Judge Questions Arrested Pro-democracy Barrister: Can You Access Internet in Jail?


Source: Stand News #Oct5

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#TonyeeChow #Court
Hong Kong Judge Questions Arrested Pro-democracy Barrister: Can You Access Internet in Jail?

Barrister Tonyee Chow Hang-tung is a pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong and the former Vice Chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The now-disbanded Alliance was known for organizing the annual June 4 vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the victims of the Tianamen Square Massacre in Beijing in 1989.

She was arrested for state subversion by the Hong Kong authority.

The authority accused her of calling on citizens to participate in June 4th commemorative event in 2020, which was banned by the government. Chow was charged with "inciting others to participate in an unauthorised assembly".

The case was heard in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts by Judge Chan Wai-mun on October 5, 2021.

Chow, who has been detained since her arrest, stated that she would defend herself and make her own statement. She will argue whether it is constitutional to restrict the dispute to freedom and whether the related article she disseminsted can ce considered as an "incitement".

Due to the limited resources she has when on remand, Chow asked for one to two weeks' time for preparation.

The Judge then questioned her, “Where did you find the law books in jail? Can you access Internet?” The query made citizens attending the session laughed.

Chow responded that she would rely on her professional knowledge of law and seek help from friends.

Source: Stand News #Oct5
https://bit.ly/2ZXtBCZ

#June4 #HKASPDMC #Vigil #TiananmenSquareMassacre #Internet #ChowHangTung #CivilSociety #Law #Alliance
#Court #RulebyLaw
Catch-22: Authority Rejects Reference Books Sent to Activist Lawyer Detained for Subversion, Due to Content about Subversion

#TonyeeChow #NSL #PrisonerRights #HongKongAlliance #HKASPDMC #June4th #TiananmenMassacre #SzetoWah

Source: Stand News #Oct23

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#Court #RulebyLaw
Catch-22: Authority Rejects Reference Books Sent to Activist Lawyer Detained for Subversion, Due to Content about Subversion

Tonyee #ChowHangTung, the former vice-chairperson of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (#HKASPDMC), is in detention on charges of inciting subversion of state power. A lawyer by trade, she intends to represent herself in her upcoming trial, and is preparing her own defense while in custody.

In an article on her Patreon published on October 23, she mentioned that her relatives and friends recently tried to send books about the late activist Szeto Wah and the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989, but the Hong Kong Correctional Services (#HKCS) rejected them.

(Editor's note: Szeto Wah was the founder of the Hong Kong Alliance (#HKA) and was one of the most influential activists in Hong Kong who worked for decades to establish, preserve and protect Hong Kong people's democratic institutions, freedom and human rights.)

One of the books, she quoted an HKCS staff, "mentions behaviours of subverting state power". The decision could not be appealed, the staff added.

Chow questions whether the HKCS had assumed the role of the judge, making a fair trial impossible. The books are reference materials for her to prepare for her own defense in the trial, she said.

"If I can't have access to information about the Alliance and the June 4th incident, I would have no chance to find evidence to refute these accusations."

The Correctional Services have set up a perfect catch-22, she said of the arrangement. "This would guarantee the prosecution a win."

Source: Stand News #Oct23
https://thestandnews.page.link/Xwr8mUcpXtD6Q2MGA

#TonyeeChow #NSL #PrisonerRights #HongKongAlliance #HKASPDMC #June4th #TiananmenMassacre #SzetoWah
Act to My Conscience

Below is the statement of defence of barrister and pro-democracy activist Tonyee Chow Hang-tung presented in court on October 25, 2021. The original statement in Chinese was published on Citizen News website.

"Your honour, I am the only defendant of this court case.

I am charged over an assembly that never happened. I am a barrister by profession. Towards the end of 2015, I became the vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (the Alliance hereafter) until its announcement on September 25 to disband. I do not have any criminal records..."

Read the fully translated statement here:
https://telegra.ph/Act-to-My-Conscience-11-11

Source: Hong Kong Citizen News #Oct25

#TonyeeChow #June4Vigil #TheAlliance #VictoriaPark

https://bit.ly/2Yy7IKc
Gwyneth Ho, Jimmy Lai and Tonyee Chow were sentenced to jail for 4 months and 2 weeks to 13 months due to the 2020 June 4th Peaceful Rally.

#June4th #GwynethHo #JimmyLai #TonyeeChow #GoHKgraphics
#Court
8 Pro-democracy Hongkongers jailed for 4.5 months to 14 months for inciting June 4 rallies

The Hong Kong police banned the June 4 rally in Victoria Park in 2020 on the grounds of pandemic prevention, and a number of members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC; the Alliance) and pan-democrats were later charged with inciting, holding and participating in an unauthorised rally.

Among them, five pleaded guilty before the trial, while three pleaded not guilty and were convicted after the trial, and were jailed for four months and two weeks to 14 months on 13 December, 2021.

#TonyeeChow Hang-tung made her own plea, stressing that the collapse of political space struck a harder blow to Hongkongers than the epidemic, and that the court dismissed the political suppression of Hongkongers in the name of epidemic prevention.

#JimmyLai Chee-ying also wrote a letter of plea, saying, “If commemorating those who died because of injustice is a crime, then inflict on me that crime and let me suffer the punishment of this crime”.

However, Judge Amanda Jane Woodcock criticised the defendants for ignoring the risks posed by the pandemic and for their arrogance and misconception of believing that the right to assembly was more important than safeguarding public health.

Among them, Lee Cheuk-yan, Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong and Leung Yiu-chung, who committed the offences while on bail then, had their sentences were increased by three months.

Lee Cheuk-yan, who had a leading role in inciting, organising and participating in the rally, received the heaviest sentence of 14 months. For incitement and participation, Richard Tsoi, Leung Yiu-chung and Leung Kam-wai were sentenced to 12 months, 9 months and 9 months of imprisonment respectively. Wu Chi-wai was sentenced to four months and two weeks of imprisonment for his participation.

Of the three who pleaded not guilty, Jimmy Lai was sentenced to an additional three months for offences committed while on bail, totaling out to 13 months in imprisonment for incitement. Tonyee Chow was sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment for incitement and participation, while Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam was sentenced to six months of imprisonment for participating.

Lee Cheuk-yan and Jimmy Lai’s sentences were to be served concurrently with the other assembly cases and no additional prison time was required, leaving the total sentence for all cases at 20 months for the time being.

Source: HK Citizens' News #Jan13

https://www.hkcnews.com/article/49003/%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1-%E9%84%92%E5%B9%B8%E5%BD%A4-%E4%BD%95%E6%A1%82%E8%97%8D-49015/%E3%80%90%E7%85%BD%E6%83%91%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B%E9%9B%86%E6%9C%83%E6%A1%88%E3%80%918%E8%A2%AB%E5%91%8A%E5%9B%9A4%E5%80%8B%E5%8D%8A%E6%9C%88%E8%87%B314%E6%9C%88-%E5%AE%98%E6%96%A5%E8%87%AA%E5%A4%A7%E5%8F%AA%E9%87%8D%E9%9B%86%E6%9C%83%E6%AC%8A%E5%88%A9%E6%BC%A0%E8%A6%96%E7%96%AB%E6%83%85-%E9%BB%8E%E6%99%BA%E8%8B%B1%EF%BC%9A%E8%8B%A5%E6%82%BC%E5%BF%B5%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B%E6%98%AF%E7%BD%AA-%E5%B0%B1%E8%AE%93%E6%88%91%E8%83%8C%E8%B2%A0

#June4 #Massacre #Vigil #PoliticalProsecution
#Court
8 Pro-democracy Hongkongers jailed for 4.5 months to 14 months for inciting June 4 rallies

The Hong Kong police banned the June 4 rally in Victoria Park in 2020 on the grounds of pandemic prevention, and a number of members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC; the Alliance) and pan-democrats were later charged with inciting, holding and participating in an unauthorised rally.

Among them, five pleaded guilty before the trial, while three pleaded not guilty and were convicted after the trial, and were jailed for four months and two weeks to 14 months on 13 December, 2021.

#TonyeeChow Hang-tung made her own plea, stressing that the collapse of political space struck a harder blow to Hongkongers than the epidemic, and that the court dismissed the political suppression of Hongkongers in the name of epidemic prevention.

#JimmyLai Chee-ying also wrote a letter of plea, saying, “If commemorating those who died because of injustice is a crime, then inflict on me that crime and let me suffer the punishment of this crime”.

However, Judge Amanda Jane Woodcock criticised the defendants for ignoring the risks posed by the pandemic and for their arrogance and misconception of believing that the right to assembly was more important than safeguarding public health.

Among them, Lee Cheuk-yan, Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong and Leung Yiu-chung, who committed the offences while on bail then, had their sentences were increased by three months.

Lee Cheuk-yan, who had a leading role in inciting, organising and participating in the rally, received the heaviest sentence of 14 months. For incitement and participation, Richard Tsoi, Leung Yiu-chung and Leung Kam-wai were sentenced to 12 months, 9 months and 9 months of imprisonment respectively. Wu Chi-wai was sentenced to four months and two weeks of imprisonment for his participation.

Of the three who pleaded not guilty, Jimmy Lai was sentenced to an additional three months for offences committed while on bail, totaling out to 13 months in imprisonment for incitement. Tonyee Chow was sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment for incitement and participation, while Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam was sentenced to six months of imprisonment for participating.

Lee Cheuk-yan and Jimmy Lai’s sentences were to be served concurrently with the other assembly cases and no additional prison time was required, leaving the total sentence for all cases at 20 months for the time being.

Source: HK Citizens' News #Jan13

https://bit.ly/3A6Xj6n

#June4 #Massacre #Vigil #PoliticalProsecution
#Restrospective
Committee Members Imprisoned: The Dilemma of
#HongKongAlliance and Beginning of the #June4th Debate

[The following article was originally published by #StandNews on September 24, 2021. The news outlet was forced to close down in December that year.]

Part 1:

On 10 September 2021 at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts Division 2, after the court clerk read out the charges, #TonyeeChow Hang-tung, who was in the defendant's column, responded with a sonorous voice: "Understood, this is a ridiculous charge." And the court filled with applause from the public gallery.

In this unsolved case, chairman and vice-chairman Li Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho Chun-yan and Tonyee Chow Hang-Tung of the Hong Kong Alliance, who have been rooted in Hong Kong for 32 years, are charged with the crime of “Inciting Subversion of State Power”. And this is the first case of the count in Hong Kong.

On May 21, 1989, the Hong Kong Alliance called on millions of Hong Kong people to take on to the streets to support pro-democracy students in Beijing, and announced the establishment of the organization on the same day. Wen Wei Po called this day “An Important Sign of the Awakening of Hong Kong People”.

After the massacre happened on June 4, all walks of life regardless of party affiliation, published condemnation and joint signatures. Since then, the Hong Kong Alliance has emphasized doing legal things under one country two systems, as in holding candlelight rallies to mourn June 4th, finding out who should be held responsible for the massacre, and guarding the truth of what happened on June 4th.

Continue reading Part 2:

Source: Stand News #2021Sept24

https://bit.ly/3vYrjRw
Standing Committee Members Imprisoned: The Dilemma of Hong Kong Alliance and the Beginning of the June 4th Debate

By Translated by BeWater HK on May 9, 2022 • 16 May 2022

On September 10, 2021 at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts Division 2, after the court clerk read out the charges, Tonyee Chow Hang-tung, who stood in the defendant's column, responded with a sonorous voice: "Understood, this is a ridiculous charge." Applause from the public gallery filled the court room.

Source: The Stand News #Sep24

#HKASPDMC #HongKongAlliance #NSL #NationalSecurityLaw

#June4 #TiananmenMassacre #DemocracyMovement

#SzetoWah #ChowHangTung #TonyeeChow #TsangKinShing #LeeCheukYan #AlbertHo

Full Story:

https://telegra.ph/Standing-Committee-Members-Imprisoned-The-Dilemma-of-Hong-Kong-Alliance-and-the-Beginning-of-the-June-4th-Debate-05-16