Tiananmen Square vigil group in Hong Kong ‘cared about China’, former organiser tells court
- Tiananmen Square crackdown vigil organiser tells court group supported democracy for mainland China through non-violent means
- Chow Hang-tung, an organiser of the annual Tiananmen Square crackdown vigil, denies subversion charge
The alliance behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil fostered love for mainland China and did not incite hatred of the country’s Communist Party, a former leader of the group has told a court hearing set up to examine the strength of evidence for subversion charges.
Chow Hang-tung, who was vice-chairwoman of the now-disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, said on Friday the organisation had backed political change north of the border using non-violent means and denied prosecution claims that the group had encouraged revolt against the central power in Beijing.
“It is impossible to plead guilty. It is not a sin to pursue democracy. I plead not guilty,” she told the court when asked to enter a plea at West Kowloon Court.
Chow, 37, was speaking at a preliminary inquiry in a bid to block her case’s transfer to the High Court for trial.
