Prominent community and business figures in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are pressing ahead for stiff penalties for former media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and eight other defendants on the eve of the High Court’s sentencing in the first trial under the SAR’s National Security Law for colluding with foreign forces.
They said a severe deterrent sentence would uphold Hong Kong’s NSL and safeguard the city’s rule of law and stability.
Lai was found guilty of violating the HKSAR National Security Law on Dec 15 last year on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
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Michael Li Chi-fung, vice-honorary secretary of the Hong Kong Chinese Importers’ and Exporters’ Association, emphasized the importance of national security, saying Lai’s conviction in accordance with the law is an important manifestation of safeguarding national security, implementing the NSL, and upholding the rule of law in Hong Kong.
The court’s verdict holds great significance in preventing, stopping and punishing acts that endanger national security, he said.
Kenlay Wong Kong-hui, chairman of Hong Kong’s century-old trading group, the Nam Pak Hong Association, called Lai the “mastermind” of subversion and an agent for anti-China forces.
“Lai seriously violated the HKSAR National Security Law and caused significant harm to national security. He must bear legal responsibility for his actions and be penalized according to the law,” Wong said.
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He said Lai had used his now-defunct newspaper, Apple Daily, as a platform to collude with foreign forces and incite unrest, contributing to the social turmoil in 2019, and expressed full support for the judicial system in imposing appropriate sentences on criminals in accordance with the law.
Liu Aili, a standing committee member of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and an Election Committee member of the HKSAR, criticized Lai as the “major planner and participant in a series of incidents aimed at destabilizing the HKSAR and opposing China”.
Lai’s actions, she said, are egregious and extremely harmful that “must be severely punished according to the law”.
Liu added that safeguarding national security is Hong Kong’s constitutional duty, and the judicial process in Lai’s case represents a legitimate exercise of the HKSAR’s legal powers.
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“The conviction is both a key measure to maintain national security and an important reflection of Hong Kong’s rule of law spirit,” Liu said. “Safety is the prerequisite for development. Only with national security firmly guaranteed can Hong Kong’s favorable business environment be continuously consolidated.
Lawmaker Dominic Lee Tsz-king said Lai must face the legal consequences for being the driving force behind various illegal movements for years, endangering national security by colluding with foreign forces and calling for sanctions against Hong Kong.
Michael Lee Chun-keung, also a legislator and vice-chairman of the Liberal Party, said Lai’s conviction on violating the HKSAR National Security Law is beyond doubt.
“His long record of offenses has caused profound harm to national security, inflicting severe damage on Hong Kong and the country. He must bear the consequences for his actions, and I trust the judge will impose a just penalty in accordance with the law.”
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Industrial sector lawmaker Jimmy Ng Wing-ka criticized Lai for abusing the media’s power to destabilize the SAR, severely undermining the city’s legal order and endangering national security.
“The court must punish him sternly in accordance with the law, sending a clear message that illegal acts will be prosecuted and those endangering national security will face severe consequences,” he said.
