14 Convicted of Subversion

Leung (in black) was convicted of subversion today

Over two days in July 2020, the pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong held an unofficial primary to help determine who to run in its slate of candidates for the Legislative Council elections that year. It was hoped this would help increase the pan-democrats' chances of winning more seats in the legislature.

Organisers expected around 170,000 but over 610,000 local residents took part in long queues to vote in polling booths that were held in various locations in the city, including a shop selling lingerie and a defunct bus.

Diplomats attended the verdict earlier today

For that exercise, 47 people involved were arrested and in 2021 were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law that was implemented a year earlier.

Most of them were remanded in custody ever since.

Of the 47 charged, 16 pleaded not guilty, the others pleaded guilty in a bid to receive shorter prison sentences.

After a 118-day trial, the verdict for the 16 was announced a few hours ago -- 14 were convicted, two were acquitted, but prosecutors have already announced they will appeal.

Those convicted include: Leung Kwok-hung or "Long Hair", Lam Cheuk-ting, Owen Chow Ka-shing, Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, Raymond Chan Chi-chuen, and Clarisse Yeung Suet-ying.

They believed they didn't do anything wrong, but the handpicked judges did not see it that way.

The convicted will be sentenced at a later date and could face life in prison.

Chan was also convicted of subverting the govt

Meanwhile, those who have pleaded guilty already are Claudia Mo Man-ching, Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, and Jeremy Tam Man-ho.

Before the verdicts came down, partners and parents of those remanded in custody talked about the emotional toll the trial has had on them, how they try to live each day. 

Those behind bars and their loved ones are all brave and have the courage to deal with such adversity. Many of them are young, and amazingly are still optimistic for the future.

Civic Party Votes to Dissolve

Leong delivers the expected news of the Civic Party's demise

When I was in Hong Kong and walked along the harbourfront after dinner every night, a few times I spotted Civic Party chairman and co-founder Alan Leong Kah-kit doing the same, either walking too or standing on a balcony-like structure in front of Tamar and looking out onto the harbour as if pondering his future.

It was decided for him the other day. The pro-democratic party founded 17 years ago didn't have anyone come forward to take over the reins of the political group, so it was only a matter of time to wait for the extraordinary general meeting to vote for the Civic Party's future, which voted 30 out of 31 members to dissolve it (one abstained).

Lee, Yeung, Kwok and Tam remanded in custody

Leong admitted the party only had money in the five-figure range, while four of its core members: Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Jeremy Tam Man-ho, Kwok Ka-ki, and ex-district councillor Lee Yue-shun were charged with subversion related to the unofficial primaries in 2019 to determine who would run in the Legislative Council elections.

During their bail hearings, the four announced they had quit the party and politics in a bid to protect the Civic Party from further political prosecution; Leong had urged members to dissolve the party, but its members preferred to let it run its course. 

Other members like Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and Tanya Chan fled Hong Kong and are in exile in the United States and Taiwan respectively.

It's interesting to note the origins of the founding of the Civic Party stemmed from 2003 when barristers Leong, Audrey Eu Yuet-mee and Ronny Tong Ka-wah came together to oppose the implementation of Article 23, the national security law, which is similar to the one Beijing passed three years ago.

The Civic Party was formed in 2006 by six lawmakers, advocating for universal suffrage and rule of law, and won over 70 Legislative Council seats in seven elections.

When Tong (4th from left) was with Civic Party

Following the 2014 Umbrella Movement, Tong did an about face and left the party to become pro-establishment, later becoming a member of the Executive Council which advises the chief executive. 

He said it was a pity the party was disbanding.

"I intended to establish the party to take care of those Hongkongers who take the middle stance in politics... and communicate with Beijing to reach consensus on pushing constitutional development," Tong said. 

"But the party deviated from the ideology and I have been advising them to return on the right track for over a decade but in vain."

Why would they listen to a turncoat?

Nevertheless, Leong was left with the sad duty of giving the party's final report and winding it down, but not without giving a reflective farewell:

"While the Civic Party has not accomplished what we set out to do, there is a time for everything," he wrote in his chairman's report. "The world is ever changing. History will tell. Today, the Civic Party is bidding Hong Kong farewell. We hope Hong Kong people will live in the moment with a hopeful and not too heavy heart. Live in truth and believe in tomorrow."

You too, Mr Leong. And thank you to you and your members for your service.

Pro-Democratic Civic Party to Disband in Hong Kong

The dapper Leong (centre) steps down as chairman of the party

Another piece of the democracy that Hong Kong used to have will soon disappear. After 16 years, the Civic Party will disband because no members are interested in taking up the mantle due to political events in the last few years.

Current chairman, Alan Leong Kah-kit made the announcement on Monday after no nominations were received for the executive positions in the party. As a result the Civic Party will disband after a final vote in an emergency general meeting in February. 

Leong says no one wants to lead the party

Leong said "it was not a surprise" no one came forward, and that no one had any ideas on how to keep the party going.

"That has not been unexpected, given what happened and what transpired in the past half year or so," he said.

When the Civic Party is dissolved, Leong said he will leave politics.

When I used to go on long walks along the waterfront from Wan Chai to Sai Ying Pun or Kennedy Town in the evenings, I saw Leong maybe three or four times, walking along the harbourfront too, or standing at an observation deck in front of Tamar, watching the world go by. 

Maybe he was pondering the future of the party and his fate. He is not as active on social media as Emily Lau Wai-hing is, who makes an effort to visit her friends, now in jail; perhaps he too is waiting until he has shed all his political responsibility, or just trying to lay low in general.

The Civic Party was founded in 2006 that represented professionals including lawyers, accountants and academics. Senior Counsel Audrey Eu Yuet-mee was the party's founding leader.

Eu was the Civic Party's founding leader in 2006

The party had seats elected into the Legislative Council since 2008, but in November 2020, four of its members were ousted from the legislature for being "unpatriotic".

Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, Kwok Ka-ki and Kenneth Leung Kai-cheong were declared disqualified, which triggered mass resignations by opposition legislators, and in turn resulted in a mostly pro-Beijing legislature.

In addition, Yeung and Kwok Ka-ki, along with Jeremy Tam Man-ho and Lee Yue-shun, are currently charged under the national security law, as part of the 47 political figures and activists charged with conspiring to commit subversion over the primary elections that were held in July 2020.

Yeung, Tam and Kwok have been detained for more than 21 months, waiting for the case to go to trial. They have all pleaded guilty and have asked to be sentenced as soon as possible. Their lawyer told the High Court in September that they "have been anxious", spending almost two years remanded in custody with no chance of bail.

However, Lee was granted bail, and will stand trial together with 16 other defendants who denied the charge in late January next year.

The quartet was ousted from Legco in 2020

With these prominent members in jail, and Dennis Kwok in exile practicing law in New York, it's hard to see how there is any future for the Civic Party, let alone any kind of pro-democratic political party to exist in Hong Kong anymore.