A candle against Hong Kong’s growing darkness
Chow Hang-tung, one of Hong Kong's most prominent political prisoners, has been behind bars for more than five years. Now she's facing another 10-year prison sentence.
Chow Hang-tung, a prominent political prisoner in Hong Kong, has been incarcerated for over five years for lighting a candle. This act symbolized her defiance against the Communist Party's rule. Chow, along with unionist Lee Cheuk-yan and lawyer Albert Ho, are now facing an additional ten-year prison sentence. Their conviction stems from their public challenge to Beijing's authoritarian regime.
The crackdown, following Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests in 2019 and 2020, is part of a broader effort to suppress dissent. Despite China's assurances during the 1997 handover, Hong Kong's liberties, including freedom of speech and assembly, remain under threat. Under Hong Kong's current arrangement, these freedoms are not guaranteed, and the city's unique status is in jeopardy.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
