Occupy leader Chu Yiu-ming cries as he speaks to the media after sentencing at a court in Hong Kong on April 24. Eight leaders of massive protests in 2014 were jailed up to 16 months for conspiracy to commit public nuisance. Photo: AP
Opinion
Opinion
What Occupy sentencing means for Hong Kong’s autonomy
- Now that jail time has been ordered for the protest leaders, on the dubious grounds that they inconvenienced the public, it is clear that the courts are no bulwark against Beijing’s determination to block democratic progress
Occupy leader Chu Yiu-ming cries as he speaks to the media after sentencing at a court in Hong Kong on April 24. Eight leaders of massive protests in 2014 were jailed up to 16 months for conspiracy to commit public nuisance. Photo: AP
Opinion
SCMP Columnist
The Occupy leaders have been jailed, but questions about democracy for Hong Kong won’t fade away
- Beyond the debate on whether the sentences for eight leaders of the pro-democracy protests of 2014 were just, Hong Kong will still have to grapple with questions about the limits of free expression, the role of civil disobedience, and the prospects for democracy here