Global advocacy group allegedly backed by Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai prepared sanctions list targeting more than 140 individuals, court hears

On 50th day of Lai’s trial, detained activist Andy Li continues to explain how his alliance carried out international lobbying in late 2019
SWHK alliance prepared sanctions list targeting more than 140 individuals that paved way for US penalties against those deemed to have undermined city’s autonomy, court hears

Jimmy Lai trial

Brian Wong

Published: 7:35pm, 21 Mar 2024

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An international advocacy group allegedly backed by Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying prepared a sanctions list targeting more than 140 individuals that paved the way for US penalties against those deemed to have undermined the city’s autonomy five years ago, a court has heard.

On the 50th day of Lai’s marathon trial, detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin continued to explain how his still-functioning alliance carried out lobbying in late 2019 before the Beijing-decreed national security law took effect the following year.

Li said on Thursday that in December 2019, he contacted US-based Samuel Chu of the Hong Kong Democracy Council about follow-up action after Li met four United States Republican senators as a representative of the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) alliance.

Detained activist Andy Li is a defendant turned prosecution witness. Photo: Handout

The alliance, which comprised Hongkongers campaigning for democracy, allegedly received financial support from Lai through two companies under the tycoon’s control.

Li, a defendant turned prosecution witness, referred to a document titled “Profiles of Perpetrators of Human Rights and Democracy Abuse in Hong Kong”, which named the individuals and organisations that had allegedly condoned, instigated, aided or facilitated human rights violations during the crackdown on anti-government protests that year.

West Kowloon Court heard the proposed targets ranged from then-Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and former security chief John Lee Ka-chiu, who succeeded Lam, to Executive Council members, senior police officers and the management of MTR Corporation, the city’s rail operator.

In a text conversation with Chu, Li described the document as “the only serious list with cases backing the claims going in”, adding its source should be kept strictly confidential.

“Let’s just say … You don’t know where it came from,” Li suggested to Chu in one message.

Court told Jimmy Lai-backed group called for action against Hong Kong and Beijing

Li continued: “From recipients’ point of view, they know that someone [us] have submitted a suggested list, and we leave it open for them to interpret it, to independently verify cases, to follow up with us and to decide what to do with them.”

Chu replied he would have some off-the-record discussions with the US Department of State and tried to “strengthen the case”.

Li told the court he provided the list to Chu, who acted as a point of contact, for him to decide whether it should be passed to the senators for their consideration. He added he did not know who created the list.

The 76-year-old Apple Daily founder has denied two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.

The court heard that the December 2019 meeting at Capitol Hill was designed to lobby senators Rick Scott, Todd Young, Ted Cruz and Marsha Blackburn for punitive measures on Hong Kong after the signing of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act the previous month.

“For one thing, [the Act] steered political momentum in the US in favour of legislation in support of Hong Kong,” Li told the court. “The other thing is it could hold the perpetrators of human rights violations accountable, such as [by imposing] sanctions.”

The witness also highlighted a joint effort by him and SWHK to invite 19 foreign politicians and human rights observers from 10 countries to monitor the 2019 district council election.

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Li said the observation mission was formed after Lord Alton, a House of Lords member in the United Kingdom, expressed interest in watching the election but wanted to avoid taking the initiative to make the visit.

The number of participants eventually snowballed to 19 with the help of UK-based campaigner Finn Lau Cho-dik and Whitehouse Consultancy, a British political consultancy firm that he engaged, Li continued.

The activist received financial assistance from Lai’s right-hand man and former US intelligence operative Mark Simon, who provided him with HK$500,000 as emergency funds for organising the mission.

He was later reimbursed with more than HK$3.28 million in crowdfunded donations managed by Project Hong Kong Trust, a US trust fund set up at Simon’s suggestion to avoid being targeted by city authorities.

Li said he also joined a private meeting with Lord Alton alongside British politician Luke de Pulford, veteran democrat Martin Lee Chu-ming and former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang at a hotel during the course of the mission.

The meeting concluded with the two Britons promising to do whatever they could to raise concerns about Hong Kong’s “deteriorating” democracy in their country, the witness added.

The trial continues on Friday.

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