China jails 10 Hong Kong activists over bid to flee to Taiwan

HONG KONG: A Chinese court on Wednesday jailed 10 Hong Kong democracy activists for up to three years over a bid to flee the city by speedboat to Taiwan, as a crackdown on dissent in the territory intensifies.

The group were arrested by the Chinese coastguard on August 23 en route to the selfruled island, which has quietly opened its doors to Hongkongers seeking sanctuary.

The court in the southern city of Shenzhen sentenced Tang Kaiyin to three years in jail and Quinn Moon to two years for organising an illegal border crossing.

The eight others were sentenced to seven months behind bars for illegally crossing the border. The 10 were also fined up to 20,000 yuan (US$3,060) in addition to their jail terms.

The sentencing follows the imposition of a sweeping new security law in Hong Kong this year that has given the government broad powers to prosecute political dissidents. A number of activists have fled the city for overseas and political organisations have shuttered their doors as Beijing seeks to keep a lid on unrest that rocked the financial hub for months last year.

A total of 12 people were caught on the boat and have been held in custody for more than four months on the mainland. The group were facing prosecution in Hong Kong related to last year’s protests before attempting their escape.

They will likely face further charges in the city after serving their mainland sentences.

Two minors from the so-called “Hong Kong 12”, aged 17 and 18, were returned to the city on Wednesday after they admitted wrongdoing. The court said it would not pursue its case against them.

In Hong Kong, the 18-year-old faces charges of conspiracy to commit arson, while the 17-yearold faces charges of attempted arson and possession of offensive weapons.