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Human rights lawyer and labour rights advocate Chow Hang-tung faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Chow Hang-tung, a young human rights lawyer, is imprisoned in Hong Kong for holding vigils to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Hundreds – possibly thousands – of people were killed in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on 4 June 1989 when Chinese troops opened fire on students and workers who had been peacefully calling for political and economic reforms as well as an end to corruption. Tens of thousands were arrested across China in the suppression that followed. Many were charged with counter-revolutionary crimes and served very long prison sentences following unfair trials.
Chow is now serving 22 months in jail for peacefully remembering the victims of a horrific crackdown. She is also facing further imprisonment for allegedly endangering national security through her entirely peaceful actions. In the face of all this, Chow’s bravery shines through. “To say I’m not afraid would be a lie, but I’m not so afraid I dare do nothing”, she says.
Learn More
Chow Hang-tung wins 2023 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights (2 June 2023)
Remembering Tiananmen Square: the hidden history of China’s protest movement (1 June 2023)
Hong Kong: Tiananmen anniversary arrests highlight deepening repression (4 June 2023)
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Top image: Human rights lawyer and China’s labour rights advocate Chow Hang-tung, currently imprisoned, was charged for “inciting subversion” under the new National Security Law on 9 September 2021 and faces potential 10 years’ imprisonment. Photo by Alex Chan.
