The conviction of Ma Chun-man under the draconian National Security Law today marks yet another dark day for Hong Kong

In the second National Security Law verdict in Hong Kong, Mr Ma, aged 30, was today found guilty of inciting secession through a series of peaceful speeches, chanting slogans and posts on social media between August and November 2020. His conviction follows the sentencing of Tong Ying-kit to nine years for inciting secession in July this year.

 Benedict Rogers, co-founder and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch, said:

“This verdict represents yet another example of the daily assault on freedom of expression in Hong Kong and the continuing total dismantling of basic civil liberties in the city. Peacefully chanting slogans and making speeches should not be a crime, yet in Hong Kong such actions are now regarded as a serious violation of national security.

Today is yet another very dark day for Hong Kong. We urge the international community to take action to ensure that the regime in Beijing faces consequences for its destruction of Hong Kong’s freedoms, in total breach of promises made in an international treaty. This should include the imposition of robust, targeted sanctions on those responsible for the dismantling of Hong Kong’s liberties and autonomy. Failure to act will only result in increasing repression and aggression, if the Chinese regime is allowed to continue to act with impunity.”

馬俊文在嚴苛的國安法下被定罪，國際社會必須採取行動

在第二宗國安法審訊中，馬俊文被指在2020年8月至11月期間，透過和平的言論、叫喊口號和在社交媒體發佈帖文煽動分裂國家，今天被判煽動分裂國家罪成。馬俊文是繼唐英傑於今年7月因煽動分裂國家罪成而被判入獄九年後，第二位被裁定罪成的國安法被告。

香港監察的創辦人兼行政總裁羅傑思表示︰

「今次判決是香港言論自由日復一日地被打壓、基本公民自由繼續全面瓦解的又一例證。和平地叫喊口號和發表言論不應該是罪行，但在香港，這些行為現已被視為嚴重違反國家安全。今天對香港來說是另一個非常黑暗的日子。我們促請國際社會採取行動，確保中國政權會為破壞香港自由、完全違反一份國際條約下的承諾而承擔後果。這應該包括對有份參與剝奪香港的自由和自治的人實施強而有力和有針對性的制裁。如果不採取行動、而允許中國政權繼續肆無忌憚地行事，只會造成更多的壓迫和侵略。」