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The West Kowloon Law Courts Building at Sham Shui Po. Photo: Jelly Tse.

Hong Kong men remanded in custody on sedition charges; 1 faces allegations he defaced country’s flag and ridiculed national anthem

  • Two men alleged to have published seditious statements and pictures on internet forum popular during 2019 social unrest
  • One also charged with ridicule of national anthem and defacing country’s flag
Brian Wong

Two Hong Kong men were on Thursday remanded in custody on charges of publication of seditious statements and pictures on an online forum, with one also accused of insulting the country’s flag and national anthem.

Chui Hoi-chun, 18, a part-time waiter, and unemployed Choi Chun-nok, 29, appeared in front of a magistrate hand-picked by the city’s leader to sit on national security cases at West Kowloon Court two days after they were arrested.

Prosecutors said the pair had posted seditious content, such as offensive slogans, on the LIHKG forum website, which was popular with anti-government protesters during the 2019 social unrest.

They also alleged Chui had also published two versions of the national anthem, “March of the Volunteers”, one with altered lyrics and the other with insulting remarks, designed to ridicule the song.

Chui was also alleged to have had posted images of the national flag, either scrawled on or defiled, on the internet with intent to desecrate the country’s symbol.

Both men were charged with committing an act or acts with seditious intention under 1938 sedition legislation.

1 in 5 arrests by Hong Kong national security police made under sedition offence

Chui also faces three other charges related to the national anthem ordinance, and the national flag and national emblem ordinance.

Vincent Lee Ting-wai, who appeared for the prosecution, said police needed more time to conduct investigations, including examination of the defendants’ electronic devices and Chui’s immigration records, and asked for the cases to be adjourned.

Insults to the national anthem and desecration of the national flag carry a maximum sentence of three years in jail and a HK$50,000 fine. Photo: Warton Li.

Chief Magistrate Victor So Wai-tak granted the request and denied Chui, who is alleged to have committed the offences between 2020 and this month, bail.

So ruled there were insufficient grounds to believe the defendant would not commit further national security offences. Chui is expected to return to court in early November.

Choi, who is alleged to have committed the offences between last January and this month, did not apply for bail.

He was remanded in custody and was scheduled to return to court in late October.

Criticism of Hong Kong government ‘defects’ welcome, security chief says

Sedition is punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment and a HK$5,000 (US$637) fine for a first offence.

Insults to the national anthem and desecration of the national flag carry a maximum sentence of three years in jail and a HK$50,000 fine.

Chui is the third individual to be charged under the national anthem ordinance, which came into force in June 2020.

Cheng Wing-chun, 27, was charged with insulting the national anthem and an alternative count of desecrating the Hong Kong flag for allegedly uploading a remix video showing the anti-government anthem “Glory to Hong Kong” played when Tokyo Olympics fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long won a gold medal in July last year.

He has pleaded not guilty and will face trial in January next year.

Paula Leung Yan-ling, 41, faces the same charges over allegations that she flew a British Hong Kong flag and booed the national anthem when it was played during a live broadcast of Cheung’s medal ceremony.

She is expected to enter a plea next month.

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