Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty to collusion

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong admitted guilt on Wednesday to collaborating with foreign entities. Wong is currently serving a sentence close to five years for subversion and faces a potential life sentence. He was set for release next year but could now spend more time behind bars. Wong was accused of plotting with fellow activist Nathan Law and others to seek sanctions or hostile actions against Hong Kong or China from July to November 2020.

Wong gained prominence in Hong Kong as a young activist in 2012, leading protests against the introduction of national education in schools. He rose further to fame in 2014 as a leader of the Occupy Movement, which occupied streets for 79 days demanding direct elections for Hong Kong's leader. However, Wong's attempts to garner overseas support for protests angered Beijing, who labeled him as an advocate for Hong Kong's independence seeking foreign interference.

His political party, Demosisto, was disbanded after the enactment of the national security law on June 30, 2020. The 29-year-old was among many activists arrested in 2021 for participating in an unofficial poll to select candidates for the 2020 legislative council election. Wong's activism has been effectively criminalized by Beijing's national security law introduced in Hong Kong in 2020 following major protests.