https://www.scmp.com/rss/501586/feed The Hong Kong protests began in 2019 in opposition to a proposed extradition law that would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to mainland China, among other jurisdictions. The demonstrations escalated into a much wider and prolonged anti-government movement that resulted in increasingly violent clashes between protesters and police across the city. The social unrest continues to simmer amid the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down parts of the city. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jess Ma Jess Ma Nearly 1,800 young Hongkongers convicted of protest and national security-related offences have taken part in a rehabilitation programme, authorities have said, including 99 per cent of those found guilty over the 2019 unrest, up from 63 per cent in 2021. Responding to a question from lawmaker Chan Hok-fung, the Security Bureau said that 1,768 inmates had taken part in Project PATH as of the end of February. “According to observations and assessments made by correctional officers, Project PATH... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350265/hong-kong-reports-99-participation-young-2019-protest-convicts-rehab-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3350265/hong-kong-reports-99-participation-young-2019-protest-convicts-rehab-project?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:50:45 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The fate of thousands of protesters arrested in the 2019 turmoil had long faded from public attention until recently when it was disclosed that they were being given a second chance under a special rehabilitation programme. The move is not just a welcome step towards offering them a path back to normalcy but also towards narrowing the deep political divide left by the unrest. The leniency towards some 7,000 people arrested but not prosecuted is not about excusing wrongdoings. As security chief... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349906/path-rehabilitation-those-arrested-2019-unrest-welcome?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3349906/path-rehabilitation-those-arrested-2019-unrest-welcome?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong authorities will not “draw a line” on which protesters arrested during the 2019 social unrest are eligible for a rehabilitation programme, the security chief has said, while defending the decision to keep the project a secret until recently. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Sunday that the special rehabilitation programme run by his bureau for people arrested in connection with the 2019 anti-government protests had been operating for the past one to two years. “We... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349779/rehabilitation-project-open-all-2019-hong-kong-protest-arrestees-chris-tang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349779/rehabilitation-project-open-all-2019-hong-kong-protest-arrestees-chris-tang?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:12:57 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Cantopop singer Hins Cheung, who previously expressed support for social movements in Hong Kong, will lead young people arrested during the 2019 anti-government protests on visits to mainland China to witness the country’s prosperity and serve as a mentor for a “special rehabilitation project” under the Security Bureau. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also revealed on Saturday that the project, which had been running over the past two years, was aimed at helping about 7,000 people... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349740/hins-cheung-lead-arrested-2019-hong-kong-protesters-mainland-exchange-trips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349740/hins-cheung-lead-arrested-2019-hong-kong-protesters-mainland-exchange-trips?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:37:24 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng The head of Hong Kong’s Catholic diocese has urged the government to offer young offenders a “second chance to start anew” and to introduce legal provisions to help those with minor criminal records pursue their careers. In his Easter message on Thursday, Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan also encouraged authorities to reduce the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) so that educators could have more time and space to better support students, amid persistently high youth suicide rates. “I call on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348768/hong-kongs-top-catholic-priest-calls-young-offenders-get-second-chance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348768/hong-kongs-top-catholic-priest-calls-young-offenders-get-second-chance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 06:34:24 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A former Hong Kong civil servant has been jailed for 12 months for threatening to burn down the newsrooms of the South China Morning Post and five other media outlets if they refused to publish seditious material he had created to frame the husband of his former girlfriend. West Kowloon Court on Tuesday heard the guilty pleas from Tse Chun-pan, 43, who had set up a website selling merchandise themed around the 2019 anti-government protests and demanded that six local media publish screenshots of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347751/jealous-hongkonger-who-threatened-burn-6-media-newsrooms-jailed-1-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347751/jealous-hongkonger-who-threatened-burn-6-media-newsrooms-jailed-1-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:44:07 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Hong Kong actor Gregory Wong Chung-yiu has lost an appeal against his conviction and jail sentence of six years and two months for abetting a riot at the Legislative Council Complex during the 2019 anti-government protests. In a written judgment delivered on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal also dismissed the complaints by six others convicted in the high-profile case. The appellants had argued their jail terms of at least four years and 7½ months were manifestly excessive. Wong was among 14... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346982/hong-kong-actor-gregory-wong-loses-appeal-against-2019-legco-storming-conviction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3346982/hong-kong-actor-gregory-wong-loses-appeal-against-2019-legco-storming-conviction?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:40:30 +0000 Cui Jianchun Cui Jianchun On February 10, China’s State Council Information Office released a white paper titled “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems”. This is the third white paper issued by the Chinese central government on Hong Kong-related affairs since 2014. It reviews Hong Kong’s efforts in safeguarding national security, elaborates on the central government’s stance on Hong Kong’s role in maintaining national security and summarises the experience and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346515/how-national-security-and-one-country-two-systems-go-hand-hand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346515/how-national-security-and-one-country-two-systems-go-hand-hand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong woman who returned from Australia has been charged with carrying two laser pointers and three bottles of spray paint for alleged illegal purposes during the 2019 anti-government protests. Ami Chan Hui-ching, 21, was escorted to Eastern Court on Monday to face charges of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and possessing an article with intent to destroy or damage property. Chan, who reportedly works as a cashier at a casino, was intercepted on September 8, 2019, on a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345989/hong-kong-woman-faces-2019-protest-charges-after-returning-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345989/hong-kong-woman-faces-2019-protest-charges-after-returning-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:58:55 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong The Hong Kong government has won an appeal against a court ruling that found a veteran teacher’s dismissal for anti-police remarks was unlawful. The Court of Appeal on Friday ruled that the secretary for the civil service was entitled to sack 27-year veteran Toffee Tam Yuk-fun and strip her of all retirement benefits for serious misconduct during the 2019 anti-government protests. Tam, who taught at the Jockey Club Government Secondary School in Kowloon Tong, previously won a judicial review... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345753/sacking-teacher-anti-police-remarks-reasonable-appeal-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345753/sacking-teacher-anti-police-remarks-reasonable-appeal-court-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:45:48 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo There is this old British chestnut that says justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. Justice has been amply served in the 20-year sentence handed down to former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, but it has not been seen to be done in many quarters, especially in the West. There is the reality of justice and the appearance of it, and the two don’t always or even usually coincide. There are two main reasons behind the widespread Western criticism of Lai’s case. One is that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343269/western-media-criticism-jimmy-lai-case-verdict-needs-fact-check?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343269/western-media-criticism-jimmy-lai-case-verdict-needs-fact-check?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:30:10 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The jailing of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying brings to an end one of the longest and most widely scrutinised criminal trials in the city’s history. Lai was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious articles. The sentence reflects the gravity of his crimes. He is the most prominent opposition figure to be convicted under the national security law passed by Beijing in 2020. Six former executives of Lai’s now-closed Apple... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3342955/jimmy-lai-trial-shows-hong-kongs-rule-law-remains-robust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3342955/jimmy-lai-trial-shows-hong-kongs-rule-law-remains-robust?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:15:15 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Hong Kong’s security minister has said the city currently faces four primary risks to its national security, with “soft resistance” being one of the most significant threats. Speaking on a radio programme on Saturday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also said police’s national security hotline had received 1.1 million reports since its inception in November 2020, with some leading to arrests. “Due to geopolitics, the risk of some external forces wanting to negatively influence Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341979/soft-resistance-among-4-main-national-security-threats-hong-kong-chris-tang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3341979/soft-resistance-among-4-main-national-security-threats-hong-kong-chris-tang?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 05:25:12 +0000 Brian Wong,Connor Mycroft,Jess Ma Brian Wong,Connor Mycroft,Jess Ma Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has returned to West Kowloon Court alongside eight co-defendants, as three judges hear mitigation arguments from defence lawyers in his high-profile national security case on Monday. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily is the most prominent figure yet to be convicted under the national security law imposed by Beijing in June 2020. Last month, he was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3339524/jimmy-lai-trial-hong-kong-judges-hear-mitigation-arguments-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3339524/jimmy-lai-trial-hong-kong-judges-hear-mitigation-arguments-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 01:32:21 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Beijing and Hong Kong have slammed the G7 for “trampling the city’s rule of law” after the group criticised the guilty verdict handed down at former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s national security trial and demanded his immediate release. The strongly worded statements on Thursday were in response to a joint call from the foreign ministers of the G7 and the European Union’s high representative, who condemned Lai’s prosecution while expressing ongoing concerns about “deteriorating rights,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3336950/beijing-hong-kong-slam-g7-over-criticism-jimmy-lai-trial-verdict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3336950/beijing-hong-kong-slam-g7-over-criticism-jimmy-lai-trial-verdict?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:42:49 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao The conviction of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in a high-profile Hong Kong trial has drawn sharp reactions in London, casting uncertainty over thawing Sino-British ties before Keir Starmer visits China. Although the outcome of Lai’s 156-day national security trial was widely expected, observers say it poses a significant test for the Labour government’s balancing act on China, which could narrow the space for engagement even if its immediate impact on bilateral relations is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:25 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft The court’s verdict in former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s trial has shed light on the ways in which implicit acts and actions taken before the national security law came into effect may constitute criminal offences, legal experts have said. Lai, 78, was found guilty on all three charges he faced under the Beijing-imposed national security law on Monday, marking the first time a court had ruled on the offence of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. The landmark verdict was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336542/hong-kong-courts-verdict-jimmy-lai-trial-sheds-light-law-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336542/hong-kong-courts-verdict-jimmy-lai-trial-sheds-light-law-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:30:17 +0000 Oscar Liu,Harvey Kong,Connor Mycroft Oscar Liu,Harvey Kong,Connor Mycroft Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s guilty verdict in a landmark Hong Kong national security trial has become a political flashpoint, as China’s Western opponents demand the former media boss’ immediate release and Beijing strongly rejects their interference. But while the High Court’s ruling on Monday could send the businessman turned opposition activist to jail for life, Western countries were unlikely to hit Hong Kong with more sanctions as they needed to cooperate with Beijing to offset unfair trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336533/jimmy-lais-conviction-hong-kong-becomes-flashpoint-between-china-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336533/jimmy-lais-conviction-hong-kong-becomes-flashpoint-between-china-west?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:00:29 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s “rabid hatred” of the Communist Party of China has led him down a “thorny path”, according to the judges who found him guilty on three counts of national security offences. The 855-page full judgment released on Monday started with the “rags-to-riches” success story of Lai, but was overshadowed by criticism, particularly regarding the credibility of his evidence. Born in Guangzhou in 1947, Lai smuggled himself into Hong Kong at the age of 12,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336529/jimmy-lais-rabid-hatred-party-led-him-down-thorny-path-hong-kong-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336529/jimmy-lais-rabid-hatred-party-led-him-down-thorny-path-hong-kong-court?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:19:37 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A landmark ruling of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s marathon trial has revealed how the former media boss used his personal ties with foreign political figures to solicit intervention before and after the national security law took effect five years ago. In an 855-page judgment handed down on Monday, three High Court judges ruled that Lai intended to tap his vast political network to trigger sanctions against Beijing and the Hong Kong government, knowing that his requests would be heeded. The 78-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336521/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-used-personal-ties-seek-foreign-sanctions-court-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336521/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-used-personal-ties-seek-foreign-sanctions-court-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 13:10:30 +0000 Harvey Kong,Danny Mok Harvey Kong,Danny Mok Hong Kong’s national security police have arrested a man and a woman for allegedly publishing social media posts with seditious intent and funding activities that endanger national security. According to an insider, officers arrested the 32-year-old man and his 27-year-old girlfriend on Monday at Kwai Chung Plaza, a shopping centre and private housing estate in the Kwai Tsing district. The force said it had arrested the pair for committing an act with seditious intention under the Safeguarding... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3334096/hong-kongs-national-security-arrest-2-over-alleged-seditious-social-media-posts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3334096/hong-kongs-national-security-arrest-2-over-alleged-seditious-social-media-posts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 09:24:41 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong couple have been sentenced to 13 and 17 months in jail for providing temporary refuge to four anti-government protesters and helping them hide before the fugitives attempted to flee by boat to Taiwan three years ago. Kindergarten teacher Ng Shuk-wai and her partner, taxi driver Yu Hin-lam, both 27, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to perverting the course of justice by hiding the wanted protesters in hotel rooms and industrial units and providing their daily necessities between November... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332318/hong-kong-couple-who-hid-aided-4-wanted-protesters-jailed-13-17-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332318/hong-kong-couple-who-hid-aided-4-wanted-protesters-jailed-13-17-months?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 07:40:30 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak This is the 63rd instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. For over a decade, Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong Chau-sang has navigated a career defined by conflict: he is blacklisted by some in his home city and in mainland China for his support of the “umbrella movement” protests in 2014. While many of his peers have faded or pandered to new political realities, Wong has persisted. Despite rumours he had moved to Taiwan – which he denied in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331616/chaotic-life-anthony-wong-three-time-hong-kong-best-actor-shut-out-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3331616/chaotic-life-anthony-wong-three-time-hong-kong-best-actor-shut-out-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 23:15:08 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong man recently cleared of taking part in a bomb plot in the aftermath of the 2019 anti-government protests has been sent back to prison by a court pending a separate trial for allegedly inciting unrest. West Kowloon Court on Thursday denied bail to 32-year-old Ng Tsz-lok after prosecutors accused him of encouraging others to confront authorities during mass gatherings by giving protesters bows and catapults that he allegedly made. Ng was among five people arrested by police’s National... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3330904/cleared-hong-kong-bomb-suspect-remanded-after-arrest-over-inciting-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3330904/cleared-hong-kong-bomb-suspect-remanded-after-arrest-over-inciting-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 09:26:46 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong police have arrested five people for alleged rioting and sedition offences linked to the 2019 anti-government protests, with the Post learning that one of them is a recently acquitted defendant in a high-profile bomb plot case. Superintendent Simon Cheung Pak-kit of the force’s National Security Department said on Wednesday that officers arrested two men and three women in Kowloon Bay and the New Territories the previous day. Officers also seized HK$250,000 (US$32,200) suspected to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3330789/acquitted-bomb-plot-defendant-among-5-arrested-hong-kong-over-rioting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3330789/acquitted-bomb-plot-defendant-among-5-arrested-hong-kong-over-rioting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 10:36:22 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Three Hongkongers have been jailed for up to 18 years for their roles in a conspiracy to carry out bomb attacks during the 2019 anti-government protests. The defendants were escorted to the High Court on Monday for sentencing on a count of conspiracy to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. Fishing-gear seller Lukas Ho Cheuk-wai, 41, received the heaviest sentence of 18 years for masterminding the attacks, including providing a rental flat for producing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3330418/3-hongkongers-jailed-18-years-conspiracy-over-2019-20-bomb-plots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3330418/3-hongkongers-jailed-18-years-conspiracy-over-2019-20-bomb-plots?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 03:36:35 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Three Hongkongers found guilty of conspiring to carry out bomb attacks during the 2019 anti-government protests harboured hostility towards local authorities and displayed little remorse for the crime, a court has heard. One of the defendants was deemed to pose a substantial risk to society as he showed little insight into his problems, while still taking pride in the assistance he gave to young protesters during the social unrest. The High Court on Friday heard some of the key findings of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3328526/3-hongkongers-guilty-conspiracy-2019-20-bomb-plots-unrepentant-court-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3328526/3-hongkongers-guilty-conspiracy-2019-20-bomb-plots-unrepentant-court-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 08:39:46 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Alibaba Group Holding’s artificial intelligence and cloud computing unit on Thursday inked a multi-year collaboration with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in China, a partnership that is expected to strengthen fan engagement on the mainland for the world’s premier men’s professional basketball league. Alibaba Cloud will develop innovative applications to enhance live game viewing and other fan engagement experiences, including with the annual NBA All-Star Game, the NBA Playoffs and the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328352/alibaba-cloud-inks-multi-year-deal-nba-china-latest-sports-related-collaboration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3328352/alibaba-cloud-inks-multi-year-deal-nba-china-latest-sports-related-collaboration?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan Charlie Kirk’s death in the United States was a major political shock. But what followed was more revealing: employees disciplined for social media posts, celebrities facing backlash for controversial remarks and businesses scrambling to distance themselves from the fallout. The controversy highlighted a broader truth of the digital age: a single comment, whether in jest or in earnest, can escalate into a crisis. In today’s hyperconnected world, words travel instantly, reach audiences well... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327429/even-west-era-consequence-free-expression-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327429/even-west-era-consequence-free-expression-over?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A fifth activist wanted for taking part in an unofficial election organised by the “subversive” Hong Kong Parliament has had an immediate family member summoned for police questioning, the Post has learned. A source familiar with the matter told the Post that Hau Chung-yu’s mother, 56, had been summoned to Tsuen Wan police station to assist with investigations. “She is expected to leave the police station at noon,” the insider said. Tuesday’s police probe marked the fifth occasion on which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3325676/mother-wanted-hong-kong-activist-hau-chung-yu-summoned-police-questioning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3325676/mother-wanted-hong-kong-activist-hau-chung-yu-summoned-police-questioning?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 04:16:55 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A former Hong Kong political activist has won an appeal against a riot conviction due to an error by the trial judge in allowing prosecutors to substantially alter their allegations midway through proceedings. The Court of Appeal on Friday ordered the dismissal of Alvin Cheng Kam-mun’s conviction over his alleged role in violence at Polytechnic University at the height of the 2019 anti-government protests. Cheng, who now runs a logistics company, was an assistant to former opposition lawmaker... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3324476/hong-kong-activist-wins-appeal-against-riot-conviction-after-trial-judges-error?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3324476/hong-kong-activist-wins-appeal-against-riot-conviction-after-trial-judges-error?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:49:29 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Three Hongkongers were found guilty on Thursday of conspiring to carry out bomb attacks during the anti-government protests of 2019, but they were cleared of terrorism charges along with four others. A High Court jury of seven women and two men returned the verdict on Thursday afternoon to conclude a 163-day trial involving eight defendants linked to three bomb plots, after closed-door deliberations began on Monday morning. The case centred on plots to trigger explosions at three public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3324306/7-hongkongers-acquitted-terrorism-charges-over-2019-20-bomb-plots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3324306/7-hongkongers-acquitted-terrorism-charges-over-2019-20-bomb-plots?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:22:03 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification On July 22, a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found against Kevin Yam Kin-fung for having engaged in conduct unbefitting of a solicitor, thereby compromising his integrity, his own reputation and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3323901/decision-tribunal-hong-kong-against-solicitor-irreproachable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3323901/decision-tribunal-hong-kong-against-solicitor-irreproachable?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s lawyers have asked Hong Kong judges hearing his national security trial to discard prosecutors’ evidence that the tabloid founder devised an anti-China lobbying strategy, saying the witness making the allegation was an “admitted serial liar”. Defence lawyers on Wednesday wrapped up their closing arguments at West Kowloon Court for the former media boss’s national security trial, in which Lai is contesting charges of conspiracy to print seditious articles and collude with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3323369/jimmy-lais-lawyers-ask-hong-kong-judges-discard-testimony-serial-liar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3323369/jimmy-lais-lawyers-ask-hong-kong-judges-discard-testimony-serial-liar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 10:00:56 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong authorities are seeking to remove at least five opposition groups from the official societies register, including the now-defunct Scholarism founded by jailed activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung and political party People Power. The groups have three months to submit proof that they are still functioning or else their operations will be banned. According to notices published by the Government Gazette on Friday, 285 community groups and organisations are facing the risk of deregistration. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322884/hong-kong-remove-least-5-opposition-groups-societies-register?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322884/hong-kong-remove-least-5-opposition-groups-societies-register?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 14:17:23 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying deliberately fabricated a negative image of Beijing to create an excuse for Western interference, prosecutors have said, accusing him of having a “resolute” intent to press on with his efforts even after the national security law took effect five years ago. West Kowloon Court on Tuesday resumed hearing the prosecution’s closing remarks in the marathon national security trial of the Apple Daily founder, who is contesting three conspiracy counts of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3322410/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-used-false-beijing-portrayal-urge-west-act-court-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3322410/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-used-false-beijing-portrayal-urge-west-act-court-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:40:18 +0000 Lorraine Chiang Lorraine Chiang A 20-year-old has been sentenced to four years in prison for planning to make bombs to attack Hong Kong police after the memorial service of a university student who died during the 2019 anti-government protests. Deputy District Judge Don So Man-lung said on Tuesday that the case was serious due to the nature of Srisanga Hon-wing’s intentions. “Hong Kong is densely populated, and fires often cause serious injuries and property damage. The court must impose a severe sentence; otherwise, there... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3322403/hong-kong-court-jails-man-4-years-planning-bomb-attack-police?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3322403/hong-kong-court-jails-man-4-years-planning-bomb-attack-police?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Aug 2025 11:54:51 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft The Hong Kong government has hit out at “irresponsible remarks” by Western countries for the second straight day following its decision to pursue overseas-based activists for alleged national security violations related to a group called “Hong Kong Parliament”. Authorities said on Sunday that they strongly opposed and disapproved of “smears with distorted facts” that had been communicated by officials and politicians from countries such as the US, Canada and Australia, as well as “anti-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3319755/hong-kong-slams-western-countries-over-criticism-bounties-second-straight-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3319755/hong-kong-slams-western-countries-over-criticism-bounties-second-straight-day?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 11:50:17 +0000 Elizabeth Cheung Elizabeth Cheung The Hospital Authority’s outgoing chief executive has said Hong Kong public hospitals are on the right path in terms of finances, manpower and infrastructure, with his term as the organisation’s top man being a “complete and abundant” experience. Dr Tony Ko Pat-sing, who will retire by the end of the month, described his past six years as a “joyful time” despite having to overcome challenges brought by anti-government protests and the Covid-19 pandemic. “I feel reassured,” Ko said on Thursday.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3319646/hong-kong-public-healthcare-moving-right-path-outgoing-hospital-authority-head?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3319646/hong-kong-public-healthcare-moving-right-path-outgoing-hospital-authority-head?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jul 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong appellate court is expected to rule in nine months’ time on appeals arising from the city’s largest national security trial, as lawyers wrapped up their verbal submissions on Thursday after 3½ days of hearings. Legal counsel urged three Court of Appeal judges to impose lighter sentences on 11 appellants for what the trial court found to be their “active participation” in a subversive scheme to “undermine, destroy or overthrow” the government. Prosecutors opposed the applications by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318558/hong-kong-47-court-expected-rule-appeals-9-months-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318558/hong-kong-47-court-expected-rule-appeals-9-months-time?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jul 2025 07:22:13 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Lawyers representing 11 Hong Kong opposition figures continued advancing arguments in court in a bid to overturn their convictions for conspiracy to subvert state power, saying they could not be held liable under the national security law for trying to trigger a constitutional mechanism to oust the city leader. Legal counsel on Tuesday argued that lawmakers were entitled to use their votes as a bargaining chip to push their political demands, while urging an appellate court to be cautious about... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318349/appeals-continue-11-hong-kong-opposition-figures-jailed-subversion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318349/appeals-continue-11-hong-kong-opposition-figures-jailed-subversion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:54:33 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong court has started hearing appeals lodged by 11 opposition figures jailed for conspiracy to subvert state power following the city’s largest national security trial, while the government is seeking to overturn a defendant’s acquittal in the high-profile case. Legal counsel for the 11 appellants on Monday urged an appellate court to refrain from adjudicating on “political matters”, saying that any “peaceful” attempt to force the government to accede to a political agenda should be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318192/hong-kong-47-court-begins-hearing-appeals-against-activists-convictions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3318192/hong-kong-47-court-begins-hearing-appeals-against-activists-convictions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:27:29 +0000 Ong Siew Gay Ong Siew Gay In a few weeks, my family and I will leave Hong Kong, a city we have called our second home since June 2021. Much has happened in these four years. Hong Kong was reeling from the aftermath of social unrest when I arrived. Western media was awash with commentary about the end of “one country, two systems” after the 2020 national security law and 2021 electoral reforms. The world was in the throes of Covid-19. The airport was a ghost town. A few months later, the Omicron wave hit, holding back the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3316866/hong-kong-and-singapore-rivals-and-partners-learning-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3316866/hong-kong-and-singapore-rivals-and-partners-learning-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Emily Hung,Oscar Liu Emily Hung,Oscar Liu Hong Kong’s opposition League of Social Democrats on Sunday cited “immense political pressure” and the “safety” of its members in folding the party months before its 20th anniversary. The league, which was at the forefront of many large-scale protests and civil disobedience efforts, is the third major opposition political party to disband following the enactment of the Beijing-imposed national security law in 2020. “Facing immense political pressure, and having considered all factors, especially... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316276/hong-kongs-opposition-party-folds-citing-immense-political-pressure-and-safety-fears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316276/hong-kongs-opposition-party-folds-citing-immense-political-pressure-and-safety-fears?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 08:52:33 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung The League of Social Democrats, one of Hong Kong’s last opposition political parties, has announced it will disband after operating for nearly two decades. The decision was revealed in a press event invite sent out by the political party on Friday. In the document, the group said it would share further details about its plan to disband in the briefing on Sunday. “Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the League of Social Democrats. However, we will not survive to see that day and will announce... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316164/hong-kongs-league-social-democrats-disband-after-19-years-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316164/hong-kongs-league-social-democrats-disband-after-19-years-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 13:23:01 +0000 Willa Wu,Jeffie Lam,Natalie Wong Willa Wu,Jeffie Lam,Natalie Wong In the second of a two-part series on the national security law, we look at how the city has had to battle a negative narrative over the past five years. Read part 1 here. Soon after Hong Kong reopened in early 2023 as harsh pandemic restrictions were finally lifted, veteran lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee embarked on a solo mission to the West. Visiting Brussels to meet European Union officials in September 2023, she sought to explain fundamental political and legal changes in the city and how... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315996/5-years-after-national-security-law-has-hong-kong-bounced-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315996/5-years-after-national-security-law-has-hong-kong-bounced-back?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 00:00:21 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A former Hong Kong protester has lodged a judicial challenge against prison authorities’ decision to bar him from studying law in the United Kingdom on national security grounds, even after he completed his prison sentence for offences committed during the 2019 anti-government unrest. To Kai-wa on Wednesday sought a judicial review after the Correctional Services Department forbade him from leaving Hong Kong during his post-release supervision by citing his failure to “demonstrate sincere... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3315953/former-hong-kong-protester-challenges-travel-ban-bid-study-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3315953/former-hong-kong-protester-challenges-travel-ban-bid-study-law?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 10:07:22 +0000 Natalie Wong,Jeffie Lam Natalie Wong,Jeffie Lam In this first of a two-part series, we look at the workings of the law and how ‘soft resistance’ signals a next phase, and more importantly, as the focus shifts squarely to the economy. A year after being arrested under Hong Kong’s domestic security law, former district councillor and theatre personality Katrina Chan Kim-kam has not been charged but feels society has already punished her. Two theatre companies she worked with dropped her. An academic institution acted on an anonymous complaint... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315835/hong-kong-turns-corner-after-5-years-national-security-law-whats-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315835/hong-kong-turns-corner-after-5-years-national-security-law-whats-next?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:30:13 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong The first person to mount a legal challenge against Hong Kong’s domestic national security law has lost an appeal to overturn a decision barring his early release from prison. The Court of Appeal ruled on Tuesday that the Correctional Services Department was not obliged to consider granting Adam Ma Chun-man early release after he was “lawfully” sentenced to a term of imprisonment for inciting secession. The three presiding judges stressed that any sentencing reduction was discretionary and that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3315617/hong-kong-appeal-court-rejects-early-release-first-security-law-challenger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3315617/hong-kong-appeal-court-rejects-early-release-first-security-law-challenger?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:05:55 +0000 Grenville Cross Grenville Cross With the enactment of Hong Kong’s national security law on June 30, 2020, acts of collusion with foreign countries to endanger national security, secession, subversion and terrorist activity were criminalised. As discussed at a recent forum to mark the law’s fifth anniversary, the “one country, two systems” policy has operated smoothly since. The national security law has been applied throughout with great restraint by the authorities, with prosecutions only resulting when absolutely... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3315295/contrary-naysayers-hong-kongs-national-security-law-working-well?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3315295/contrary-naysayers-hong-kongs-national-security-law-working-well?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Jun 2025 21:30:07 +0000