Hong Kong intensifies national security prosecutions and expands 'soft resistance' warnings
In September Hong Kong sentenced three Tiananmen vigil organizers, convicted activist Joshua Wong, and arrested a journalist for alleged sedition under its new security law.
Three activists who once led annual Tiananmen Square vigils were sentenced in early September, receiving terms ranging from five years and two months to seven years and three months for inciting subversion under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong subsequently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, a charge that carries a life sentence. Hong Kong's security chief labeled "soft resistance" the most malicious threat to national security, and the Security Bureau said it was taking follow-up actions after a state-backed newspaper highlighted a Netflix documentary about Wong.
The government also condemned a U.S. congressional hearing on jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai. On September 30, police arrested a journalist at one outlet on alleged sedition, the first known use of the 2024 security law against a journalist, and he was released on bail two days later.
Why it matters
The crackdown shows Hong Kong's expanding use of security laws to silence dissent and control media.
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