Carol Ng, former chairperson of the now-defunct Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), and Winnie Yu, the founder and chairperson of the now-defunct Hospital Authority Employees Alliance (HAEA), were sentenced today to four years and five months and six years and nine months, respectively, by Hong Kong’s national security-designed judges, who sentenced 45 democrats found guilty of conspiracy to commit subversion in the city’s landmark national security trial.
The Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor (HKLRM) strongly condemns the sentences, describing them as a repression of Hong Kong people’s pursuit of democracy, a crushing of 610,000 Hong Kong people’s political stand, and a blatant deprivation of their civil rights. HKLRM emphasises that the 45 democrats were pursuing democracy and freedom peacefully and lawfully by seeking a majority in the Legislative Council—actions that should never be considered criminal. HKLRM also states that both the convictions and the sentences violate international covenants and urges the international community to oppose the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for their brutal violations of human rights.
Christopher Mung, executive director of Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, said: ” The verdict demonstrates that the National Security Law has been weaponised by the authoritarian government, turning it into a political tool to suppress civil society. The lengthy sentences imposed on individuals in this case reflect the repressive agenda, delivering another alarming signal to the world that repression in Hong Kong is ongoing, with no indication that the authorities intend to cease. This is a critical time for the international community to show solidarity and demand the immediate release of these individuals and other political prisoners.”
He urges the international community, including the United Nations and the International Labour Organisation, as well as democratic unions and governments worldwide, to take a strong stance and hold the Hong Kong government accountable.
” With most trade unions, civil society groups, and oppositional political parties unable to operate and the voices of Hong Kong’s people silenced under relentless political persecution, we must not remain silent. It is our responsibility to speak out for them and show unwavering solidarity,” he said.
HKLRM also calls on international organisations, institutions, and governments to take decisive action to support the people of Hong Kong and defend fundamental rights and freedoms. This includes condemning these sentences and convictions, calling for the immediate release of the individuals, and urging the Hong Kong government to repeal the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.
47 prominent democrats were arrested and charged under the security law with “conspiracy to commit subversion” after they organised primaries in a bid to win the 2020 legislative election. Most defendants had been detained for three years and eight months since 28 February 2021, pending their trial, which began on 6 February 2023. After a prolonged trial lasting 118 days, two defendants were acquitted, while one acquitted individual is now facing an appeal by the Department of Justice. Sentencing was handed down to the 45 democrats found guilty, with the longest sentence reaching up to 10 years and the rest receiving sentences ranging from four years and two months to seven years and nine months. Winnie Yu and Carol Ng received sentences of six years and nine months and four years and five months, respectively.
Winnie Yu and Carol Ng participated in the primary election to strengthen the bargaining power of ordinary citizens through legislative means and protect workers’ rights. In her mitigation, Winnie said, “…I thus wanted to enter our political institution – to stand for election in the Legislative Council, to increase the bargaining power……Even now, I still believe there is nothing wrong with bringing changes to the established order through voting in the legislature. Perhaps my only mistake was that I loved Hong Kong too much.”
Carol remarked in her mitigation, “Participating in the primary election was a means to enter the legislature, to allow workers to share in the fruits of socio-economic development and to protect labour rights, not to subvert the state.”
Over the past three years, the case of Hong Kong 47 has drawn significant concern from the international community. The UN Human Rights Committee has previously called on the Hong Kong government to repeal the NSL, citing its “overly broad interpretation and arbitrary application” and undermining judicial independence and the right to a fair trial. In May 2024, following the conviction of 14 defendants in this case, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, reiterated that the NSL does not comply with Hong Kong’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.