Cathay pilot faces decade in jail for ‘rioting’
Hong Kong
Dozens of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong, including an airline pilot and a 16-year-old girl, face up to ten years in prison after they were formally accused of rioting, the most serious charges brought so far in the campaign of pro-democracy demonstrations.
Forty-four people, 28 men and 16 women, were charged after clashes near a police station and the Hong Kong offices of the mainland Chinese government on Sunday. Some protesters threw stones and police fired tear gas.
Over the past two months, millions of Hong Kongers have been protesting against plans by Carrie Lam, the territory’s chief executive, to allow extraditions to the mainland. The movement has raised fears in the West over whether China will abide by its agreement with Britain to protect freedoms and rights of Hong Kong residents that are not afforded to those on the mainland.
The escalating violence in the former British colony has raised tensions not only between mainland China and Hong Kong but also between the Beijing government and Taiwan, which has offered to help any protesters who may seek sanctuary there.
Beijing responded yesterday by banning Chinese citizens from travelling to Taiwan unless they join an organised tour. The decision was seen as an attempt to damage the island’s tourist industry. In March, as many as 250,000 Chinese citizens visited the island, of whom 150,000 travelled on their own.
Protesters gathered outside a court yesterday as they waited for proceedings to start against the accused. Their ages range from 16 to 41. They include Liu Chungyin, a 30-year-old pilot with Cathay Pacific. An arrest warrant was issued for a Yan Hoi-ying, 22, a clerk, who failed to appear in court. One 33-year-old man has also been charged with assaulting a police officer.
Bail was set at HK$1000 (about NZ$185). All those charged must remain in Hong Kong and observe a curfew between midnight and 6am, except Liu, who can still travel for his work.
The charge of rioting, rather than the less serious ‘‘unlawful assembly’’, could further inflame the antigovernment movement. One of the protesters’ central demands has been that the government withdraw the description of a rally on June 12 as a ‘‘riot’’. The offence carries a possible ten-year sentence.
Man-kei Tam, from Amnesty International, said: ‘‘The definitions of illegal assembly and rioting under Hong Kong law are so broad they fall far short of international standards. It is highly questionable that individuals facing these charges would have a fair chance of defending themselves at trial.’’ – The Times