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HONG KONG: A prominent Hong Kong democracy activist on Tuesday (September 8) became the first person to be charged with sedition since the city was returned to Chinese rule as authorities expanded their search for critics downtown. financial.
Democracy activist and radio DJ Tam Tak-chi appeared in court Tuesday facing five charges of “uttering seditious words” under a rarely used colonial-era law.
His prosecution comes just two months after Beijing imposed a separate national security law in Hong Kong to crack down on pro-democracy unrest, a move that drew condemnation from many Western nations and UN rights experts.
READ: Hong Kong activist arrested for ‘seditious words’ ahead of rally
China argued that the comprehensive new law was necessary to cover up the lack of national security legislation in the troubled city.
But the case against Tam uses a colonial sedition law that has been on the books since 1938 and will deepen fears that speech will be increasingly criminalized in the semi-autonomous center.
The South China Morning Post said Tuesday it was the first charge of sedition since Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997.
Tam is just the latest in a line of government critics facing prosecution in the months since Hong Kong was rocked last year by massive and often violent pro-democracy protests.
He was arrested on Sunday by a new Hong Kong police unit formed to investigate national security crimes.
READ: Hong Kong police shoot pepperballs at protesters who oppose delay of elections, new law
Officials said the 47-year-old was detained for using words “inciting hatred, contempt against the government and causing discontent and dissatisfaction among the people of Hong Kong.”
Local media said on Tuesday that Tam was denied bail and that prosecutors gave examples of “seditious slogans.”
They included the popular protest slogans “Free Hong Kong. Revolution of our time”, “Five demands, not one less” and “Dissolve the police force”, as well as the less common phrase “Death to corrupt police families”.
Hong Kong authorities have struggled to convince a skeptical public that freedoms will not be restricted, but a climate of fear is sweeping the city under the new law.
READ: Hong Kong’s Controversial Security Law: What is it and why does China want it?
Hours before Tam appeared in court, city leader Carrie Lam said the criticism of the government would not violate any legislation.
“I can honestly say that criticizing the CEO will not become a violation as required by law,” he said.
But, Lam said, “there are certain circumstances in which the law restricts freedom of expression.”
