International lobby group backed by Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai pressured US and UN to take action against mainland China and city, court told

Lai trial told ‘Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong’ lobby group asked US and UN to take action against mainland China and city
Witness says group tried to convince UN to set up panel to examine alleged human rights violations during 2019 anti-government protests

Jimmy Lai trial

Brian Wong

Published: 8:49pm, 20 Mar 2024

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An international lobbying group alleged to have been backed by Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying pressured the US and the United Nations’ top human rights body into taking action to counter what was said to be mainland China’s encroachment on the city’s freedoms, a court has heard.

Andy Li Yu-hin, a detained activist, on Wednesday told West Kowloon Court the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) group had tried to convince the United Nations to set up an independent panel to examine alleged human rights violations in Hong Kong during the city’s anti-government protests in 2019.

The court heard Li had also met US Senator Rick Scott in September that year because he wanted to trigger an American reaction to the Hong Kong government’s crackdown on the unrest.

The programmer turned activist said the meeting was arranged by Lai’s right-hand man and former US naval intelligence operative Mark Simon, who arranged for Li and another front-line protester to meet Scott and a US consulate staff member in Mid-Levels.

West Kowloon Law Courts Building, where media tycoon Jimmy Lai is on trial facing conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and conspiracy to print and distribute seditious material. Photo: Dickson Lee

But he added no concrete ideas on what Washington should do in relation to Hong Kong were proposed at the meeting.

Li, the most prominent figure among 12 Hongkongers arrested in mainland Chinese waters in 2020, continued his court testimony as Lai’s national security trial entered its 49th day.

The 76-year-old mogul denies two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law, and a third alleged offence of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications under colonial-era legislation.

The founder of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper was accused of financing SWHK behind the scenes in a bid to trigger international sanctions and other hostile actions by Western nations.

Li on Wednesday rejected prosecutors’ claim that SWHK, which he said was a loose alliance of Hongkongers who campaigned for freedom and democracy, was set up to promote sanctions against Hong Kong and China.

‘Group allegedly backed by Hong Kong’s Lai lobbied UK for action against Beijing’

But he admitted, however, that some of its members encouraged foreign countries to adopt punitive measures.

“[The group’s] main goal was to fight for freedom and democracy for Hong Kong,” Li said. “Sanctions were but a means.”

Li said the group had appealed to the city public to donate to it with the use of “flowery” expressions in its promotional material, such as dubbing the city government the “Hong Kong Communist regime”.

Anthony Chau Tin-hang, for the prosecution, highlighted a screengrab of SWHK’s webpage, which described as an achievement the group’s successful invitation to British parliamentarian Bob Seely to visit Hong Kong in August 2019 to observe the protests.

Li said the visit’s goal was to boost an advocacy campaign by UK-based activist Finn Lau Cho-dik in which he was not involved.

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai’s PA said to have handled HK$14 million in donations

He added he had explained to Seely that the 2019 demonstrations were triggered by Hongkongers’ dissatisfaction with their limited freedom and declining democratic institutions.

He added Wilson Li Chung-chak, a freelance videographer, was responsible for handling the logistics of the trip and was later involved in arranging Western politicians to observe that year’s district council election.

Chau asked the witness to elaborate on the establishment of a campaign group called Hong Kong Story, in which the latter was listed by the company registry as sole director and shareholder.

Li told the court the group was at first designed as a political platform for his lobbying efforts, but he later found it more effective to act under the title of SWHK and Hong Kong Story was unused.

The trial continues on Thursday.

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