Hong Kong activist pledges to continue human rights fight at trial in Shenzhen
Yang Kuang tells judge that even if he is jailed he will only work harder for human rights on the mainland and the right to visit his family
Hong Kong activist Yang Kuang spoke out for human rights when he was put on trial yesterday in Shenzhen over accusations he illegally entered the mainland.
The 46-year-old, who has been in custody since December 30, denied any wrongdoing and the hearing ended without an immediate verdict.
He told the court: "Even if I am sentenced this time, I won't stop coming to the mainland to visit my parents and wife … I also won't stop contributing to the mainland's human rights campaign - only even more so."
I won't stop contributing to the human rights campaign - only even more so
Though yesterday's trial was supposedly open to the public, the public gallery was occupied by plainclothes public security officers, and every Hong Kong reporter who arrived at the court was photographed.
And although the judge agreed to let Yang talk to his wife and his sick parents during a 10-minute adjournment, he was quickly forced away from them.
Guangzhou-born Yang made headlines in 2012 for captaining the fishing boat that evaded the Japanese coastguard to land on the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, the first landing by Hong Kong activists in 16 years. His home return permit was revoked in March last year after he attempted to visit Liu Xia , wife of jailed Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo . She has been kept against her will at her home since 2010. On his way to see her, Yang was detained for 40 hours by Beijing authorities for "provoking quarrels and making trouble".
At the People's Court in Nanshan District yesterday, he denied a charge of crossing the border without a legal permit. The charge carries a maximum one-year jail sentence.