Joshua Wong's 10-year sentence rekindles grief, resolve among Hongkongers in Taiwan

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At a human rights art exhibition in Kaohsiung, a portrait of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong (黃之鋒), painted over pages of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, is…

At a human rights art exhibition in Kaohsiung, a portrait of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong (黃之鋒), painted over pages of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, is accompanied by information about his latest prison sentence.

For Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong (黃國才), 56, who curated the exhibition, the portrait took on renewed significance after the 30-year-old activist was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Nov. 5.

"I felt really frustrated and extremely sad," Kacey Wong told CNA on Monday, recalling how he learned of the ruling while preparing the exhibition.

"This kind of ruling is unjust to begin with," the Taiwan-based artist said, questioning the broad definition of collusion with foreign forces under Hong Kong's National Security Law.

Joshua Wong rose to prominence as a teenage activist during Hong Kong's 2012 protests against a proposed national education curriculum and later emerged as a leading figure in the 2014 Umbrella Movement, which called for greater democracy in the former British colony.

He remained active in the city's pro-democracy movement, including during the mass protests against a proposed extradition bill in 2019.

Beijing imposed the National Security Law in June 2020 following the unrest, criminalizing acts including secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces.

On Nov. 5, the Hong Kong High Court sentenced Wong to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, after he pleaded guilty in September.

Prosecutors accused him of conspiring in 2020 with activist Nathan Law (羅冠聰), who is now in exile, and others to seek foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.

Début de l'article, extrait de Focus Taiwan (CNA). Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.