The trio Chan Lok-yi, 26, and Chau Kam-wai, 25 – a couple – and Edmund Wong, 45 were accused of taking part in riots near New Town Plaza in Sha Tin on September 22, 2019, when Hong Kong was in the midst of months-long protests and unrest, reported Almond Li, writing in Hong Kong Free Press.
District Judge Adriana Noelle Tse Ching said it was premeditated and organized, with more than 100 people joining and taking up distinct roles.
Tse also said it did not take the protesters long to paralyze traffic in the densely populated area, adding that roadblocks were set on fire, risking people’s lives and potentially causing damage to property.
The trio were convicted of rioting in January. Chau was also found guilty of obstructing a police officer in discharging his duty, as reported Hong Kong Free Press.
Chan was handed a 41-month sentence, Chau received 44 months for two charges and Wong was jailed for 40 months.
Tse said the incident was not the most serious among cases of a similar nature, but a heavy sentence was needed to deter others, reported Almond Li.
Protests erupted in June 2019 over a since-axed extradition bill. They escalated into sometimes violent displays of dissent against police behaviour, amid calls for democracy and anger over Beijing’s encroachment.
Demonstrators demanded an independent probe into the police conduct, amnesty for those arrested and a halt to the characterisation of protests as “riots.”
Hong Kong’s changes, including the shutting down of newspapers and an overhaul of the curriculum in schools and colleges, have come thick and fast in recent months after Beijing, in June 2020, passed a new national security law that lists stiff penalties for subversion and secession.
The passing of the law followed months of pro-democracy protests in 2019 calling for direct elections, including for the top post of Chief Executive, who is now nominated.
Beijing has also overhauled the electoral system, reducing the share of directly elected representatives in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo), down from 50 per cent to 22 per cent. The new rules also introduced a review committee to decide on the eligibility of candidates to ensure only “patriots” could run for office.