Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow, Demosisto group involved in international anti-government push, key witness tells Jimmy Lai trial

Witness Andy Li says Agnes Chow helped place an advert in Japanese newspaper as part of initiative to urge overseas governments to take action against Hong Kong administration
Subsequent invoice seeking payment of 7 million yen addressed to localist group Demosisto, court hears

Jimmy Lai trial

Brian Wong

Published: 7:25pm, 14 Mar 2024

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A key prosecution witness in Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s national security trial has named opposition activist Agnes Chow Ting and a now-disbanded localist party as those involved in an international campaign against the government five years ago.

Detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin on Thursday said Chow had helped place an advert in Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun as part of the initiative to urge overseas governments to take action against the city administration during the Group of 20 (G20) summit in June 2019.

The advert, titled “We resist for what we deserve”, said 2 million Hongkongers took to the streets to ensure their freedoms would not be deprived by a now-withdrawn extradition bill which would have enabled the transfer of fugitives to mainland China if passed.

“We hope the governments of the world will take up the Hong Kong issue in the G20 summit,” it said.

‘Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai funded campaign for global support of 2019 protests’

West Kowloon Court heard a subsequent invoice seeking payment of 7 million yen was addressed to localist group Demosisto, of which Chow was a standing committee member.

Another invoice issued by Belgium-based online news portal Politico Europe also listed Demosisto as the recipient.

A series of text ads were published in the form of a plea from the localist group, which claimed the bill would have serious repercussions worldwide and urged the European Union to “take a stand to protect the safety of its nationals”.

Li, the most high-profile figure among 12 Hongkongers arrested by mainland Chinese authorities in 2020, said members of the now-dissolved party had facilitated the campaign by liaising with overseas media outlets, particularly those in Japan.

The witness added he was unsure about the extent of Chow’s participation.

Li was testifying against Lai as a defendant turned prosecution witness as the high-profile trial entered its 45th day.

‘Hong Kong’s Apple Daily ran articles critical of government for business goals’

The 76-year-old Apple Daily founder has denied two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces under the Beijing-decreed national security law, and a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications under colonial-era legislation.

The court earlier heard the mogul, using two companies under his control, had dished out HK$1.56 million to various newspapers abroad on behalf of an advertising campaign to garner international support for anti-government protests in the city.

Li and other anonymous participants published adverts in 13 countries as well as on Facebook and Google in June 2019 after sourcing HK$6.73 million (US$860,229) by crowdfunding, but the group reportedly relied on Lai to settle part of the sums which they could not pay with the donations in time.

Email correspondence between a sales executive of The Washington Post and a campaign participant known as “T” showed the American newspaper had received payment of US$85,050 “from Mark’s end” in July 2019.

Apple Daily published ‘grey area’ articles in sanctions bid, Hong Kong court told

Li said he was unaware of Mark’s identity until two months afterwards when “T”, whom he later found out was paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah, introduced him to Lai’s personal assistant Mark Simon, a former US intelligence agent.

Further emails between Chan and Simon suggested Lai had approved financial help to the campaign when NT$1.2 million in advertisement fee owed to the Taiwan edition of Apple Daily needed to be settled, but Li said he had no knowledge of the exchanges.

Mr Justice Alex Lee Wan-tang, one of three judges on the bench, also asked Li to explain an “Anna Kwok” who appeared to be involved in placing ads with The New York Times as seen from an invoice.

The witness said Kwok was “probably” a participant who helped liaise with the daily, but he was unsure why she would be asked to pay on that occasion.

The trial resumes on Friday.

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