Thu Sep 19 08:21:14 UTC 2024: ## Hong Kong Man Jailed for Seditious T-Shirt: First Conviction Under National Security Law
**Hong Kong, October 25, 2024** – A Hong Kong man, Chu Kai-pong, has become the first person convicted under the city’s controversial National Security Law, receiving a 14-month jail sentence for wearing a T-shirt bearing protest slogans deemed seditious.
Chu, 27, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of “doing acts with seditious intention” for wearing a T-shirt and mask emblazoned with protest slogans on June 12th, a date marking the 2019 pro-democracy protests. The court found the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” capable of inciting secession, a separate national security offense.
Chief Magistrate Victor So, designated by the government to hear national security cases, stated that the court must fully reflect the legislature’s stance on the seriousness of the offense. He argued that Chu, by wearing the shirt on a symbolic date, intended to reignite the unrest that characterized the 2019 protests.
Chu had previously served a three-month prison term under an older sedition law for similar offenses. However, the new national security law, implemented in 2020, significantly expanded the definition of sedition, including inciting hatred against China’s leadership and increasing the maximum jail sentence from two to seven years.
This conviction marks a significant step in Hong Kong’s crackdown on dissent, with critics arguing that the law will further erode freedoms and silence opposition. However, authorities maintain that the law is necessary to fulfill a constitutional responsibility and protect national security.
As of this month, over 300 people have been arrested under the two security laws, with over 160 convicted. This case highlights the ongoing tension between the government’s commitment to national security and the concerns over diminishing freedoms in Hong Kong.
First Piper 