A Hong Kong court has recently sentenced a protester, Fung Ching-wah, to four years in prison for his involvement in the 2019 protests. The charges brought against him include rioting and perverting the course of justice, to which Fung pleaded guilty on August 23. The details were reported by the Hong Kong Free Press.
Fung was arrested on October 1, 2019, during the National Day protests in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. After being charged and released on bail, he was expected to report to the Tsuen Wan Police Station twice a week. But rather than complying with these orders, Fung disappeared and became absent from two subsequent hearings that he was obligated to attend. The court issued a warrant for his arrest in February 2021, and he was eventually captured on July 13 this year while attempting to flee Hong Kong for Taiwan via boat. These details were mentioned in an article by the South China Morning Post.
During sentencing, Deputy District Judge Pang Leung-ting disagreed with the defense’s argument that Fung’s 517 days in hiding should be considered equivalent to house arrest, therefore calling for a lighter sentence. As a result, Fung’s sentence for his rioting charge was reduced by one-fifth, less than the typical one-third reduction for those who submit a guilty plea, because Fung had been absent at previous hearings and attempted to escape Hong Kong. Fung’s perversion of justice charge, however, was commuted by one-third due to his good character.
The 2019 Hong Kong protests centered around an extradition bill that proposed the transfer of fugitives from Hong Kong to jurisdictions lacking an extradition agreement with Hong Kong, such as mainland China. This bill was eventually withdrawn on September 4, 2019 by former Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor due to public pressure after a summer of mass protests.
In recent times, Hong Kong courts have seen a trend of convictions involving participants in the 2019 protests. Tsang Chi-kin, who was part of the National Day protests – the same event where Fung was initially arrested – has also been charged for rioting and assaulting police. His lawyer has stated that he intends to plead guilty and he has fortunately scheduled his plea for September 28.
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