“We condemn Magistrate Lily Wong’s decision today to jail Wong, Chow, and Lam while awaiting sentencing for exercising their rights to protest – a right guaranteed and protected by Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam Remanded in Custody
Trio pled guilty to protest charges expressing no faith in Hong Kong’s Judiciary system
WASHINGTON, DC (November 23, 2020) – In response to Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam being remanded in custody while awaiting sentencing on December 2, 2020, HKDC releases the following statement from managing director, Samuel Chu:
“We condemn Magistrate Lily Wong’s decision today to jail Wong, Chow, and Lam while awaiting sentencing for exercising their rights to protest – a right guaranteed and protected by Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
Make no mistake, when they pled guilty in court today, it was not a judgment on them, but rather a judgment against a poisoned Hong Kong judiciary system no longer independent or capable of rendering justice.
As Wong explained, they are only pleading guilty because they have lost faith in the courts and in the possibility of a fair and impartial trial. Their loss of confidence in Hong Kong’s judiciary system is not shocking, as the CCP is actively destroying the separation of powers in Hong Kong and the independence of the judiciary system, with the latest disqualification of “unpatriotic” legislators and the department of justice’s request that a national security judge takes over the trial of another activist Tam Tak-Chi, even though Tam has not been charged with national security offenses.
For freedom fighters – Mandela, King, Liu Xiaobo – prison has been the inevitable and necessary part of the path to democracy and liberation.
I am pained by the plights of Joshua, Agnes, and Ivan – and their families and loved ones. I hope their imprisonment will also shed light on the fate of other activists and protesters who may be less known and facing more serious charges and punishments both in Hong Kong and in the mainland.
Since the beginning of November, Hong Kong authorities have arrested a public radio show producer, pro-democracy lawmakers, a primary school teacher, owners of small businesses who have expressed support for the protest, etc. We cannot remain silent or surrender to the terror.
I am reminded of these words from Professor Chan Kin Man, another political prisoner jailed for his role in the Umbrella Movement of 2014 and released earlier this year, ‘When those who are in power think that prison cells can destroy our conviction, they are overestimating the power of high walls and metal bars.’
HKDC demands the immediate release of Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam and for bail to be granted to all those detained and facing political prosecution in Hong Kong and the mainland. We implore the US government to review all actions by Hong Kong authorities involved in these cases to determine if their actions violate US-Hong Kong policy and thus require sanctioning under US law.”
Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Hong Kong’s basic freedoms, the rule of law, and autonomy.
