Officials of the central and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region governments on Thursday voiced their support for a local court’s ruling that convicted 14 people of subversion, saying the verdict upheld the rule of law.
Sixteen people were arrested and tried for their roles in a so-called “primary” of the 2020 Legislative Council election. Their goal was revealed to be winning a majority in the legislature, with the ultimate objective of subverting the SAR government. Two of the defendants were acquitted.
At a news conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law, and that it is a fundamental principle that laws must be observed and those who break the law must be held accountable.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu reaffirmed the SAR government’s responsibility to safeguard national security, noting that the government will resolutely crack down on acts and activities that endanger national security strictly in accordance with the law
“No one should engage in illegal activities under the banner of ‘democracy’ and attempt to evade justice,” she said.
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Mao said that the central government firmly supports law enforcement and the judiciary in the SAR in fulfilling their duties in accordance with the law and punishing all acts that undermine national security.
She also condemned the interference of certain countries in China’s internal affairs, as well as their attempts to smear and undermine Hong Kong’s legal system.
In a statement, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said, “The verdict showed that the court confirmed the occurrence of the offense of conspiracy to commit subversion, which aimed at undermining, destroying or overthrowing the existing political system and structure of the SAR established under the Basic Law and the ‘one country, two systems’ principle.”
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He reaffirmed the SAR government’s responsibility to safeguard national security, noting that the government will resolutely crack down on acts and activities that endanger national security strictly in accordance with the law.
A spokesperson for the SAR government condemned external forces’ attempts to interfere in the trial by discrediting the judiciary and the government.
Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said the verdict clearly showed that the defendants’ intent to run in the 2020 legislative election did not serve the community, only their own personal gains, which aimed to paralyze the SAR government and would have led to a constitutional crisis in the city.
Tang said the trial shows that anyone who intends to endanger national security cannot escape justice, adding that the people of Hong Kong should not let their guard down as external forces are still trying to jeopardize the city’s hard-won safety.
Steve Li Kwai-wah, head of the Hong Kong Police Force’s National Security Department, welcomed the court’s verdict, saying that the city would have veered toward the “mutual destruction” advocated by some people if police had not taken swift action.
Li said that the illegal “primary election” was a facade for the greater conspiracy to paralyze the government.
