Occupy Verdicts Are A Victory For HK: Wang Zhimin

Beijing’s top official in Hong Kong said the convictions last week of nine leaders of the 2014 Occupy protests manifested the spirit of the SAR's rule of law.

Speaking at a seminar on national security, Wang Zhimin, the director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, said the court clearly drew a legal “red line” with the judgement.

He said it is an important page for Hong Kong, and many residents feel it is a victory for the SAR.

Wang said the "illegal movement disguised in the name of justice" was an insult to justice itself and caused serious damage to Hong Kong’s rule of law.

He questioned why residents had to foot the bill for the "damage" caused by the Occupy leaders, and why the pro-democracy activists still don't show any remorse.

Wang said without national security, people in Hong Kong won’t enjoy social peace.

He said the SAR should deeply reflect on what it can learn from the "painful lesson" of Occupy and tackle its shortcomings in terms of upholding national security.

He said the territory doesn’t have a special status with regards to maintaining national security, and even though it operates under two systems, it only has responsibility to the “one country”.

Wang also accused some unnamed Hongkongers of getting funds from the public and meeting foreign politicians and groups that oppose China.

He accused them of betraying Hong Kong for their own benefit and wishing for foreign intervention. He said these people are bringing disrepute to the SAR.

Wang said many Hong Kong residents find such behaviour shameful, and it is spurned by the entire Chinese population and their ancestors.

Nine Occupy figures, including the co-founders of the movement, law professor Benny Tai, sociology professor Chan Kin-man and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, were convicted of public nuisance-related charges. They are due to be sentenced on April 24.