Hong Kong

On 7 October in Milan, an evening event with Father Franco Mella will explore the parable of a metropolis deprived of its freedom in the name of “national security”. Meanwhile, following his conviction for organising vigils in memory of Tiananmen, trade unionist Lee Cheuk-yan has been transferred to the isolated Hei Ling Chau prison, with restrictions on visits.

Lawyer Chow Hang-tung and trade unionist Lee Chueuk-yan received the harshest sentences. Five years and two months for former MP Albert Ho. They were charged with “incitement to subversion” for calling for a democratic system. All books and documents relating to the 4 June 1989 massacre in Beijing were also seized.

The appeal lodged by the Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong and the other four trustees of the Fund in Defence of Protesters – who in 2022 (after being briefly detained by the police) were fined for breaching company regulations – has been dismissed. Margaret Ng announces a further appeal: “Freedom of association is at stake”.

The leader of the “Umbrella Movement” – who was due to be released from prison in January 2027 following his first trial for pro-democracy activities – has found himself in the dock facing new charges of “collusion with foreign forces”. He hopes this will at least enable him to avoid a life sentence for a crime of opinion.

The speech that the Hong Kong court prevented the human rights lawyer from delivering at her sentencing hearing following last week’s conviction over the Tiananmen vigils. “The law cannot govern what a person thinks. I have no regrets: whether in prison or out, I will stand alongside those who do not give up.”

The editorial director of AsiaNews comments on the verdict against Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan: “There is a tendency to believe that the cause of freedom in Hong Kong is lost. But we cannot comprehend how the price to be paid for integration with China should be the imprisonment of democratic leaders and the eradication of the pluralism of thought.”

In Hong Kong, the former trade unionist and human rights lawyer have been sentenced. They face up to 10 years in prison under the National Security Law. Amnesty: prisoners of conscience

The oldest Trappist monk in the world has passed away at the age of 108. But his story evokes the brutal "death march" with which Mao's communists wiped out the monasteries of Yangjiaping and Liesse in the 1940s. He took part in the rebirth of the Abbey of Our Lady of Joy in Hong Kong in 1956.

According to official licence statistics, as many as 30,000 are aged between 70 and 79. This reflects not only the ageing population but also the financial difficulties faced by those who lost their jobs during the Covid pandemic. And with pensions insufficient to cover their expenses, many make ends meet by working as taxi drivers.

Since the start of the year, a special pastoral team set up by Cardinal Chow has been active, dedicated to ministering to the thousands of Mandarin-speaking people who have arrived in the city in recent years. The team leader, Fr Bruno Lepeu, told the Sunday Examiner: “Friendship and care rooted in God’s love”. Of particular significance are the initiatives for young cross-border students and the parents of children attending Catholic schools.

In a message written from prison, the lawyer on trial alongside Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho for the 4 June vigils in Victoria Park speaks of the importance of resilience in remembering the 1989 massacre in Beijing, whilst the Hong Kong authorities cover the void left by the crackdown with a sea of market stalls. “4 June is a matter of principle, our most reliable safeguard against the perpetuation of dictatorship and the cult of power.”

The activist is currently held at a detention centre over her visa. The UNHCR office in the Thai capital had granted her protection status. Hong Kong authorities accuse her of "subversion" under the territory’s national security law. Her "crime" is membership in the Hong Kong Parliament group of exiles.