- Photographer Cheng Wing-chun earlier found guilty of insulting national anthem by replacing it with ‘Glory to Hong Kong’
- Sentence marks first ruling by a criminal court concerning legality of unofficial anthem of 2019 social unrest
The first person to stand trial under Hong Kong’s national anthem law has been jailed for three months after using a song linked to the anti-government protests in a music video that showed a local athlete celebrating his victory at the Tokyo Olympics.
Eastern Court on Thursday sentenced photographer Cheng Wing-chun for using “Glory to Hong Kong” in a video posted on YouTube, breaching the National Anthem Ordinance.
Magistrate Minnie Wat Lai-man said the consequences of the defendant’s crime were profound and dire, as the 94-second clip had attracted calls for Hong Kong’s independence and undermined the national anthem, “March of the Volunteers”.
“The defendant’s act not only disrespected the winning athlete, but also fuelled conflicts between people who have different views about the national anthem, and, as a matter of fact, galvanised others into making remarks that similarly undermined the national anthem’s dignity,” she said.
