Hong Kong Democracy Movement: Activist Wong Sentenced to Prison

Hong Kong activist Wong has been detained for more than a year for participating in an unauthorized demonstration. China continues to repress the democratic movement with a heavy hand.

By Steffen Wurzel, ARD-Studio Shanghai

Joshua Wong has been incarcerated for thirteen and a half months, while co-defendants Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam were sentenced to seventeen and seven months, respectively. That was decided by a court in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district. The prosecution accused the three of participating in an unauthorized demonstration against the growing influence of the Chinese leadership in Hong Kong last year.

Protests for years

Wong and Chow, 24, who will turn 24 tomorrow, are the internationally best known faces of the Hong Kong democracy movement. For years it has been protesting for the maintenance of Hong Kong’s autonomy, guaranteed by international law, and for democratic rights.

International attention to the situation in the metropolis had diminished in recent months, but from the perspective of the democratic movement the situation is worse than ever. For months now, China’s communist leadership has been cracking down on the remnants of Hong Kong’s autonomy at a rapid pace: school curricula are being changed, remaining free media is being domesticated, journalists are being fired. critics.

China’s leadership has removed seats from several pro-democracy politicians. Many activists have fled abroad since the spring, others have been arrested.