Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai Trial Begins

Facts

• Hong Kong media tycoon and democracy activist Jimmy Lai was taken before a court on Monday to stand trial on national security allegations. The 76-year-old has been in jail since December 2020.¹
• Lai, along with three others, has been charged with 'collusion with foreign forces' and 'conspiracy to publish seditious publications.' If convicted of the first charge, Lai could face life imprisonment; the latter charge could result in two years in jail.²
• Due to the fact that the sedition case against Lai was brought outside the six-month window for legal prosecution following the offense, Lai's legal team argued in court that it should be dropped.³
• Lai's arrest and trial are part of Hong Kong's crackdown on the opposition. A sizable crowd gathered outside the court on Monday, where officials had already put in place strong security measures, to greet the creator of the now-defunct Apple Daily publication.⁴
• The UK has said that Hong Kong’s National Security Law, under which Lai is charged, is a 'clear breach' of the Sino-British Joint Declaration that set the conditions for the city's transfer to China.⁵
• Beijing introduced the Law in 2020 following pro-democracy protests. Like Lai, a PRC-British dual citizen who was born in China and later moved to Hong Kong, over 250 people have been arrested under the law since then.⁶

Sources: ¹CNN, ²Global times, ³South china morning post, ⁴Guardian, ⁵Gov.uk and ⁶BBC News.

Narratives

• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Globaltimes. More than a quarter century after Hong Kong returned to PRC control, the UK hasn't gotten over its colonial hangover. London is meddling in due process and Jimmy Lai will face charges for documented seditious acts. If anything, the machinations by foreign powers to help Lai in the case only reinforce the charge of sedition against the media tycoon.
• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Wall Street Journal. All that Jimmy Lai has done is demand peaceful democratic elections in Hong Kong. And the draconian charges against him are China's way of saying 'forget it' in response. What Beijing seems to have missed is the underlying test of natural justice and human rights that this case is about now. For Hong Kong to remain a credible global financial and business hub, the PRC must honor its agreements and uphold democratic principles.

Predictions