Hong Kong Students Face Terrorism Charges After Mourning a Police Kill
Just when you think you’ve seen every twist in Hong Kong’s political drama, four university students find themselves in a courtroom—this time, accused of “advocating terrorism”.
Who’s In the Spotlight?
- Kinson Cheung King Sang – 19, University of Hong Kong (HKU)
- Kwok Wing Ho – 20, HKU
- Chris Shing Hang Todorovski – 18, HKU
- Yung Chung Hei – 19, HKU
All aged 18‑20, they were the latest folks to have bail denied under mainland China’s sweeping national security law slapped on the former British colony last year.
A Sudden Loss and the Aftermath
On July 1, a 50‑year‑old man’s fingers nosed into a policeman’s behind while the officer was trying to keep the peace during a protest on the 1997 return anniversary. The man then stabbed himself, filling the hospital with his lifeline. The police officer, age 28, survived a lung puncture but was labeled a “terrorist” by Secretary for Security Chris Tang.
What Did the Students Do?
In what we’d call a “thoughtful tribute,” members of the HKU student union passed a motion—now withdrawn—to honor the grim casualty. None of the students were intent on smacking guns or barricades; they just wanted to remember a life that ended in a dark way.
Lawyer Drama and Bail Denied
When Magistrate Peter Law briefly granted bail to Yung, the prosecutors jumped in, overruled him, and the case was pushed to September 14. Court doors fluttered open to tear‑jerking rezoning students who could hardly wrap their heads around why they’d suddenly be coughing up textbook policies.
“I didn’t expect university students to be charged with advocating terrorism. They just issued a statement,” lamented an 18‑year‑old Jeff, main student at HKU, as he huddled with classmates outside the courthouse.
Repercussions for the Union
- The student union’s campus office was raided by national security police.
- The university severed ties with the union.
- About 30 students who endorsed the motion got banned from the campus, leaving them in an awkward “cannot reenter” loop.
For anyone who thought 2019 protests were the worst, the city’s police consider student campuses a catch‑all for “hotbeds of violence.” But even that didn’t deter the headlines tonight.
