Govt Not To Appeal Occupy Leaders' Sentences

The government has decided not to appeal against the sentences given last month to eight frontline activists over their involvement in the Occupy protests of 2014.

Occupy co-founders Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man, legislator Shiu Ka-chun and League of Social Democrats activist Raphael Wong were jailed for between eight and 16 months, while the other four received either suspended jail terms or community service orders.

The Department of Justice said there are insufficient grounds to appeal because there is not enough legal basis to suggest that the sentences were wrong in principle or were clearly not harsh enough.

The department also said it has received appeal notifications from six of the defendants; Tai, Chan, Shiu, Wong, Reverend Chu Yiu-ming and Tommy Cheung.

A ninth defendant in the case, lawmaker Tanya Chan, is yet to be told her fate, because she asked for her sentence to be adjourned so that she could have urgent surgery on a brain tumour. Her sentencing is scheduled for June 10.

Pro-Beijing lawmakers had said that the sentences given to the eight were too lenient. DAB chairwoman Starry Lee had also urged Justice Secretary Theresa Cheng to consider the impact of the punishments on organisers of future disobedience movements.

Another pro-government lawmaker, Junius Ho, had said after the sentencing that he too was disappointed and that Tai should have be given at least two years behind bars.