Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Friday, Mar 31, 2023

Independent singer Lester Chong and 9 others jailed for up to 52 months over PolyU ‘rescue’ protests

Independent singer Lester Chong and 9 others jailed for up to 52 months over PolyU ‘rescue’ protests

Independent singer Lester Chong Zing was among 10 people that were jailed for up to 52 months on Saturday for rioting outside Polytechnic University four years ago, while the judge said the court didn’t seek to ruin the defendants' lives and believed they learned a valuable lesson. 
The 10 defendants were among the 213 protesters arrested in Yau Ma Tei by police at the peak of the 2019 social unrest over a series of protests that aimed to “rescue” protesters trapped within the university. 

The 10 were construction worker Au Yeung Ho-ming, 28; photographer Chak Pak-lung, 31; student Cham Pui-lam, 22; hair stylist Chan Sze-chun, 21; jobless Cheng Tai-kwan, 28; music teacher Lester Chong Zing, 31; students Chow Ka-wai and Chow Nok-ching, both 22; music teacher Kan Lai-yin, 27; and bar staffer Lai Tsz-yan, 25. 

They were earlier convicted of rioting at Nathan Road between Waterloo Road and Hamilton Street on November 18, 2019. 

Appearing before judge Josiah Lam Wai-kuen in District Court, six of them – Chong, Au Yeung, Chak, Cheng, Kan and Lai – were jailed for 52 months. The remaining four – Cham, Chan, Chow Ka-wai and Chow Nok-ching – were jailed for 50 months. 

When passing down the sentence, Lam disagreed with the defense who said the nature of this case was not serious, as he continued that rioters confronted police for about 40 minutes and lobbed over 250 Molotov cocktails. Lam also noted that police were outnumbered at the time. 

Although there was no evidence that the defendants acted violently and threatened others’ lives, they could still encourage other rioters by their presence at the scene, Lam said. 

The judge added the court may send a wrong message to the society if it passes down lenient sentences. The nature of defendants’ crimes was in no way any lesser even they “didn’t chant slogan or lift a finger”, according to Lam. 

A barrister representing Cheng sobbed as he pointed out such large-scale protests are unlikely to happen in the future after the Hong Kong national security law came. He also pointed to President Xi Jinping’s care for youth development and referred to the newspaper advertisement by billionaire Sir Li Ka-shing, in which Li quoted a line from a Chinese poem and called for peace. 

Judge Lam said he understood how the defense felt but stressed that they cannot behave emotionally. 

Lam then pointed out that the defendants were not carrying weapons, illegal tools or dangerous items, with some wearing face masks only. 

Lam noted the court didn’t seek to ruin their lives with the sentences, and believed they had learned a valuable lesson already. 
Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
Close
0:00
0:00
Don’t Dismiss China’s Peacemaking Bid
Austrian Parliament members walk out when Volodymyr Zelensky begins speaking.
Father obliterates council members following viral TikTok of biological male masturbating in women’s bathroom..
Tsai Ing-wen received a "warm welcome" from the Chinese people in the US.
EU's von der Leyen: "We know this is an era where we rely on one single supplier. China. 98% of our rare earth supply."
China and Brazil have signed a new deal that will allow them to trade in their own currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary
Elon Musk and Others Call for Pause on A.I., Citing ‘Profound Risks to Society’
“We've had evidence prior to the pandemic that masks were largely ineffective at preventing community transmission of influenza “
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz:
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz rejects being labeled a "billionaire"
Jamie Dimon is being deposed over JPMorgan Chase role in Epstein lawsuits
Brand new security footage has just been released to the public showing the Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building
Social Media censoring users for saying the true
Smart Iranian fashion designer teaching dummy TV anchors lesson about reality
AMERICA, 2023
U.S. charges FTX's Bankman-Fried with paying $40 million bribe
Fallen 'Crypto King' Who Owes Millions to Investors Was Kidnapped and Tortured
Regulators blame social media for SVB's rapid collapse: 'Complete game changer'
AOC explains why she opposes banning TikTok
Singapore’s Prime Minister says China and US need to stabilize relations because world can't afford a confict between the two superpowers
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Reform Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pro democracy protest
Police violence in Paris
Paris: Some of the police are stepping down and showing solidarity with the protesters.
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Goldman Sachs cuts outlook for European bank debt over Credit Suisse crisis
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
The US government has charged Chinese businessman Guo Wengui with leading a $1 billion fraud scheme that cheated thousands of followers out of their money.
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
The BBC problem about China
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
"Will Fly Wherever International Law Allows": US Warns Russia After Drone Incident
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
Announcing GPT-4
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
China is calling out the US, UK, and Australia on their submarine pact, claiming they are going further down a dangerous road
A brief banking situation report
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
'No relation to the American SVB': India's SVC Bank acts to calm depositors amid brand name confusion.
Good news: The U.S. government is now guaranteeing all deposits, held by, Silicon Valley Bank, and the funds are available as of today
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
Saudi Arabia has announced a major breakthrough in diplomacy with Iran after two years of intense talks
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
×