2nd person found guilty under Hong Kong security law for chanting pro-democracy slogans – National

Hong Kong has convicted a second particular person underneath its sweeping nationwide safety regulation for chanting pro-independence slogans, amid a political crackdown within the metropolis.

Ma Chun-man was convicted of inciting secession on Monday after he was discovered to have chanted slogans equivalent to “Hong Kong independence, the one means out” on 20 events between August and November of final 12 months.

Critics in Hong Kong say the Nationwide Safety Legislation erodes freedoms, equivalent to these of expression and meeting, that had been promised to the town for 50 years when the previous British colony was handed over to China in 1997.

Ma is the second particular person to be convicted underneath the brand new regulation, which outlaws what authorities describe as secession, subversion of state energy, terrorism and overseas collusion in intervening in Hong Kong’s affairs.

Ma had been arrested a number of occasions for chanting such slogans earlier than being remanded in custody.

Sentencing for Ma was adjourned to Nov. 11, and he faces as much as seven years in jail.

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Tong Ying-kit, the primary particular person to be convicted underneath the nationwide safety regulation, was jailed for 9 years for inciting secession and terrorism after he drove his bike into a gaggle of cops final July whereas bearing a flag with the banned slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our occasions.”

Nearly all of the town’s outstanding pro-democracy activists have been arrested for participating in unauthorized assemblies, and dozens of political organizations and commerce unions have ceased operation out of concern for his or her members’ security underneath the safety regulation.

Over 120 folks have been arrested underneath the safety regulation because it was carried out final June.