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Four underage students among six plead guilty to subversion
Four students aged 16 to 17 were among six members of a Hong Kong pro-independence group who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit subversion on Saturday, the first time underage citizens were convicted under the national security law.
Seven defendants from the Returning Valiant group, which advocated armed revolution and plotted bomb attacks, appeared before designated national security judge Kwok Wai-kin in the District Court this morning.
They included student Yuen Ka-him, 17; warehouse worker Choi Wing-kit, 21; student Wan Chung-wai, 16; student Leung Yung-wan, 17; salesperson Chris Chan Yau-tsun, 26; student Tseung Chau Ching-yu, 17, and student Kwok Man-hei, 19.
Apart from Choi, the other six defendants all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit subversion by planning, organizing or facilitating forceful or illegal behaviors between January 10 and May 6 last year.
Choi applied to enter his plea later because he had yet to read the updated version of the summary of facts, and his request was approved by judge Kwok.
Judge Kwok then adjourned the case to September 9 for Choi to enter his plea and to handle legal controversies on the ruling of the national security law stated by the defense.
Yuen and Choi were also involved in a burglary case at Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College in Tseung Kwan O on May 5. Yuen pleaded not guilty to the burglary charge but admitted to possessing radio-communications equipment without a license in a unit at On Shun Building in To Kwa Wan.
On the other hand, Choi was charged with possessing offensive weapons for keeping two batons at Ha Keng Hau Village in Hin Keng, Sha Tin; and possessing child pornography on his phone, including 306 photos and a video.
The court earlier heard that the pro-independence group was founded by Choi. Choi and Yuen were the group’s spokespeople, and Wan was the secretary.
At the material time, they occasionally distributed leaflets in Mong Kok and Sha Tin and held press conferences to advocate armed revolution to overthrow the SAR government and Beijing’s Central Government.
On January 31, 2021, the group handed out leaflets that mentioned the French Revolution and the democracy movement in Ukraine. The leaflets also quoted late Chinese leader Mao Zedong saying, “A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture … A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”
They included student Yuen Ka-him, 17; warehouse worker Choi Wing-kit, 21; student Wan Chung-wai, 16; student Leung Yung-wan, 17; salesperson Chris Chan Yau-tsun, 26; student Tseung Chau Ching-yu, 17, and student Kwok Man-hei, 19.
Apart from Choi, the other six defendants all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit subversion by planning, organizing or facilitating forceful or illegal behaviors between January 10 and May 6 last year.
Choi applied to enter his plea later because he had yet to read the updated version of the summary of facts, and his request was approved by judge Kwok.
Judge Kwok then adjourned the case to September 9 for Choi to enter his plea and to handle legal controversies on the ruling of the national security law stated by the defense.
Yuen and Choi were also involved in a burglary case at Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College in Tseung Kwan O on May 5. Yuen pleaded not guilty to the burglary charge but admitted to possessing radio-communications equipment without a license in a unit at On Shun Building in To Kwa Wan.
On the other hand, Choi was charged with possessing offensive weapons for keeping two batons at Ha Keng Hau Village in Hin Keng, Sha Tin; and possessing child pornography on his phone, including 306 photos and a video.
The court earlier heard that the pro-independence group was founded by Choi. Choi and Yuen were the group’s spokespeople, and Wan was the secretary.
At the material time, they occasionally distributed leaflets in Mong Kok and Sha Tin and held press conferences to advocate armed revolution to overthrow the SAR government and Beijing’s Central Government.
On January 31, 2021, the group handed out leaflets that mentioned the French Revolution and the democracy movement in Ukraine. The leaflets also quoted late Chinese leader Mao Zedong saying, “A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture … A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”
