Hong Kong radiation therapist jailed 13 months for online comment inciting attacks on police
Judge dismisses submission for lighter sentence for Yeung Sheng-wa, 32, saying his comment was made during volatile atmosphere of 2019 unrest
A Hong Kong radiation therapist has been sentenced to 13 months in jail for posting a comment on an online platform that could have incited others to attack police officers during the 2019 anti-government protests.
Yeung Sheung-wa, 32, was earlier found guilty of one count of inciting to wound with intent over a comment posted on the Reddit-like platform LIHKG, popular among protesters during the unrest, in response to users’ discussion on possible tactics for evading police arrest.
On the defendants’ message dated December 5, 2019, he asked questions that read: “snatch police’s weapons? Kill the police? attack police? We would not be able to make anything happen if we did not come to a consensus.”
Deputy District Judge Veronica Heung Shuk-han on Thursday told the defendant that his comment, in the political atmosphere of the time, could have successfully egged on others to take action and harm officers on duty.
“The majority of the messages seen on the platform reflected anti-government stance[s] or expressed hatred towards police,” she said.