Three Hong Kong Activists Jailed For "Terrorism" Bomb Plot
Three activists - Ho Yu-wang, Kwok Man-hei, who was associated with the pro-independence group "Returning Valiant," and Cheung Ho-yeung - were jailed for up to six years on Thursday in the aftermath of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests.
The group was accused of planning to make improvised explosive devices and strategically place them in government offices, cross harbour tunnels, police staff quarters, railways, and court buildings between April 1 and July 5, 2021.
Fortunately, the arrests occurred before any devices were manufactured or deployed, and all three pleaded guilty to charges of "conspiracy to commit terrorism” under the National Security Law.
Beijing's National Security Law, introduced in 2020, aimed to address secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with penalties up to life imprisonment. This has sparked international debate, with some arguing that the law serves as a tool to suppress dissent. Since the law's implementation, over 280 individuals, including opposition politicians, activists, lawyers, and journalists, have been arrested.
High Court Judge Alex Lee acknowledged the impact of the "hostile social atmosphere" during the protests, stating it could "easily cloud one person's moral judgement" and potentially turn individuals with previously good characters into radicals according to Reuters.
Ho, identified as the alleged mastermind and the party “primarily responsible for making the explosive”, and Cheung received six-year prison sentences, while Kwok was sentenced to 30 months. Ho pleaded guilty to the terrorism charge, while Cheung and Kwok admitted to a lesser charge of conspiring to "cause explosions likely to endanger life or to cause serious injury to property."
Another four involved with the plot were sentenced in May.
