Interviewed on Sky News, Sebastian Lai says he doesn’t think his father has long to live.
The Wall Street Journal has an op-ed on the Jimmy Lai trial (article probably paywalled, but you should be able to see the video that goes with it)…
…Jimmy’s [absurd] trial … paints him as Hong Kong’s Osama bin Laden—“mastermind” of a national security threat to China. To drive this home, the Hong Kong government has pulled out props that rival Hollywood’s: the chains they put on a then-72-year-old Jimmy when he was arrested, the massive police presence at his trial as though he might bust out, not to mention the solitary confinement imposed for most of Jimmy’s four years in prison.
…he was trying to hold China to its promises to honor the values and freedoms that transformed Hong Kong from a barren rock into a global center for trade and finance. On the stand, he listed these Hong Kong values: “rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly.” Apple Daily, he said, “aligned” itself with them.
As for the U.S., the Hong Kong government can’t seem to make up its mind whether Jimmy was carrying out an American plot or directing America to carry out his.
…On sanctions Mr. Pence was unequivocal: “Jimmy Lai did not ask for US sanctions or any action against Hong Kong or China.”
…Mark Clifford [former senior exec with Lai] … sums up the trial this way:
“Jimmy Lai’s testimony shows that he was guilty only of practicing good journalism. The idea that he was somehow driving U.S. policy on Hong Kong is laughable.”
The NY Times interviews Chan Po-ying, head of the League of Social Democrats and wife of Long Hair…
The first year and a half after the national security law was passed was a nerve-racking time. Something happened every week.
But I believe their tactics are now less heavy-handed, to avoid it turning into international news. Instead, they will try to dry up your money and come at you with laws and regulations you haven’t even considered. The charges are petty, but you will be fined.
It feels like we’re being repressed in a very underhanded way.
Last year, HSBC terminated our bank accounts. Since then, we have been unable to accept donations online. We have had to reduce our expenses to a minimum. We stopped renting an office, and let go of all paid staff.
At the street booths that we set up, we no longer ask people to sign petitions or write cards to political prisoners.
There is a lot of psychological pressure because the police arrive at the street booths before we do, and film the entire process. If we ask people for their signatures, they will be filmed, too. We don’t want to cause harm to anyone.
People used to think that signing a petition or coming out for a march could put pressure on the government. Now many know that there is no use.