A Hong Kong man, Chu Kai-pong, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to sedition for wearing a T-shirt with a protest slogan. This is the first jail term handed down under a new local national security law, passed in March, which expands on the existing legislation imposed by Beijing in 2020.
The law, known as Article 23, has drawn criticism from activists who fear it could further erode civil liberties in Hong Kong. However, both Beijing and Hong Kong authorities maintain that the law is essential for maintaining stability in the city.
Chu, 27, was arrested in June at a subway station, wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.” He also wore a mask with the initials “FDNOL,” representing another popular protest slogan, “Five demands, not one less.” Both phrases were widely used during the 2019 anti-government protests. Local media reported that Chu was also carrying a box of excrement, allegedly intended for use against people opposing his views.
His arrest occurred on June 12, a date marking a significant moment in the 2019 protests when massive crowds filled the streets. According to court proceedings, Chu told police he wore the T-shirt to remind people of the protests. He had previously been jailed for three months for a similar offense, involving the same slogan and possession of other offensive items.
Chu, who has been in custody since June 14, pleaded guilty to “doing an act with a seditious intention.” Chief Magistrate Victor So, selected by the government to handle national security cases, stated that Chu’s actions were intended to “reignite the ideas behind” the 2019 protests. He noted that Chu showed “no remorse” after his earlier conviction and stressed that the sentence reflects the gravity of the sedition charge.
Human rights organizations have condemned the conviction and sentence. Sarah Brooks, China director for Amnesty International, called it “a blatant attack on the right to freedom of expression” and urged the repeal of Article 23.
Chu’s sentencing follows another significant sedition case last month, in which two journalists from the pro-democracy newspaper Stand News were found guilty. It marked the first sedition trial of journalists in Hong Kong since the city’s 1997 handover from Britain to China.