Faces of Hong Kong pro-democracy movement sentenced to several months in prison

Wong and Lam pleaded guilty on Nov. 23 to charges of inciting and organizing an unauthorized protest in June 2019 that called for an investigation into police brutality. Chow had already pleaded guilty at an earlier date. After the court appearance in which the two made their pleas, Wong, Lam, and Chow were detained. All three were formerly members of the since-disbanded pro-democracy student group Demosisto.

As he was being taken away, Wong shouted a popular Cantonese expression of encouragement that is often heard during protests.

“Everyone hang in there! Add oil,” he said.

The unauthorized assembly charges are not based on the “national security” law for the region that’s been sending shock waves through the city since it was implemented by China at the end of June. That law criminalizes acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with sentences of up to life in prison.

Because of the law’s vagueness, authorities have been able to use it to target dissidents. The charges in question came about under a preexisting statute.

In a letter from prison posted to his Twitter account by his friends two days before his sentencing, Wong said he was being held in solitary confinement.

“Though I’ve been in prison three times, solitary confinement is far beyond my expectation,” he said. “At the time of uncertainties, some of us may feel uneasy and anxious, but I ensure you that all these pains and sufferings would only strengthen our courage and conviction for democracy and justice. Cages cannot lock up souls.”