Chiu Ka-yin isn’t holding back anymore. Convicted in the “35+ subversion case,” he was staring down a heavy 15-year sentence. But Chiu flipped the script—pleaded guilty, helped the prosecution, and owned up to being misled by Benny Tai. All these resulted in a jail time of just seven years. Earlier this week, he was granted an early release, an unprecedented move for any national security inmate. This sharp turn signals a man who's not just repentant, but fundamentally changed.
Chiu busts Tai’s “chief” act—shows the real mastermind behind mutual destruction.
When the courtroom lights were on, Chiu didn’t mince words—he laid bare Benny Tai’s audacious grab for power, blasting Tai for unilaterally launching the so-called “mutual destruction battle” with Beijing. It was raw, it was public, and it exposed a simple truth: Tai always wanted to be the pan-democratic camp’s sole shot-caller, dragging everyone else toward the edge.
Benny Tai’s Playbook Gets the Spotlight
The records tell a revealing story. Prosecutors dragged out Tai’s notorious April 2020 “Hong Kong’s Mutual Destruction Showdown” article（《香港攬炒大對決》）, where he pushes the idea: the democracy camp should use “mutual destruction” to squeeze the Communist Party of China and Hong Kong SAR into surrendering on the five so-called “anti-extradition” demands.
The script is clear: if the Legislative Council falls, if the budget collapses and the government grinds to a halt, then Beijing is forced to declare a state of emergency. That wasn’t some wild internet rumor—it’s straight from Tai’s pen.
Chiu didn’t hide his anger. Seeing Tai’s article for the first time in court, he nearly exploded. Phrases like “the democratic camp is now in full swing,” “they’ll reject the budget next year,” and “use mutual destruction to force Beijing”—all tossed out without any real consensus. Here was Tai, posturing as the king of Hong Kong’s democratic camp, declaring what everyone would do. Chiu couldn’t believe it, and right then, the mask slipped.
The democratic camp’s real mission, as Chiu saw it, was simple: win a majority in LegCo, push pro-people, pro-Hong Kong policies, and pressure the government for the five demands. Mutual destruction wasn’t even in the plan. Tai, for Chiu, was twisting the whole primary into a reckless confrontation with Beijing—a dangerous solo act lacking basic responsibility.
He looks back and says if he and the members of Power for Democracy had really scrutinized Tai’s writings, they’d have never agreed to run that primary.
Dragged Down the Wrong Road
Chiu’s testimony cuts deep, outing Tai’s true game:
1.Crown himself as pan-dem leader, wanting to order everyone around.
2.Use a legislative majority to pick a fight with Beijing.
3.Sell the primary as legal, misleading everyone down a road to disaster.
Chiu and his fellow pan-democrats never wanted this. But Tai, the so-called “mutual destruction mastermind,” led them straight into chaos. No wonder Chiu’s fury boiled over, followed by a reckoning. By stepping up as a star witness, he showed he knew just how badly he’d been played.
Seeing Tai’s showdown plot in court, Chiu erupted—then saw the truth and repented.
Not Alone in Regret
Chiu isn’t the only one waking up. Au Nok-hin also had that sinking feeling of being duped, volunteering to testify before the court ever convened—his testimony helped seal Tai’s fate. Even Civic Party’s Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Jeremy Tam Man-ho, and Kwok Ka-ki offered to flip as prosecution witnesses, although their offers weren’t taken.
Here’s the twist that sticks: When Chiu finally saw through the “who’s real, who’s fake” haze, he realized people like Benny Tai aren’t freedom fighters—they’re the real culprits, harming Hong Kong and everyone in it.
What Say You?
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
London just dropped a classic good news, bad news bombshell on Hong Kong BNO holders.
The headline grabber? The path to permanent residency remains a five-year trek—the so-called "5+1" deal is safe. But here is the kicker: to actually cross the finish line, applicants must now survive a gauntlet of "extra spicy" new conditions. We are talking tougher English tests, strict income floors, and proof of continuous tax payments.
Think of it as a mouthful of sugar followed by a shot of hot chili. The anxiety on the ground is palpable. The South China Morning Post cites a survey warning that nearly 30 percent of these migrants do not meet the new bar. Unless London blinks, thousands will be screened out at the doorstep, leaving them empty-handed after five wasted years. Agitated Hong Kong people in UK are scrambling with petitions, but make no mistake: for the British government, utility is the only metric that matters.
Survey Warning: 30% of Hong Kong BNO holders fall short of London's new "permanent residence" rules and face being screened out at the finish line.
Here is the bait-and-switch: getting the visa was easy, but staying is going to cost you. Previously, income checks were nonexistent. Now, the rules have tightened: you need a fixed job, a tax record, and an annual haul of at least £12,570 (HK$128,000) for three to five years. That might sound low, but for many Hong Kong BNO holders, it is a high wall to climb. Not everyone is punching the clock in a full-time gig.
The SCMP-cited survey breaks it down. Of the 690 interviewed: 19 percent are housewives, 8 percent are retirees, and 3 percent are students. That is 30 percent of the total population right there. No job, no income, no tax record. If the Home Office sticks to the letter of the law, this entire group is going to fail the assessment cold.
Even the working class is standing on shaky ground. The data shows that only 42 percent of respondents have full-time jobs, while another 20 percent are scraping by with part-time work. Do the math: stable, salaried Hong Kong BNO holders are not the majority. Many are hustling in "casual work," where income fluctuates wildly and often falls short of the new government mandates.
Speak to anyone on the ground, and they will tell you the housewife trap is real. Families move over with young kids, find they can’t hire help, and suddenly the mother is housebound. It is a forced choice. Even if they pick up part-time shifts to help make ends meet, those meager earnings inevitably miss the strict income targets London has set.
The Wealth Illusion
Then there are the cash-rich, income-poor migrants. These are the folks who sold their Hong Kong properties at the peak, sitting on millions of dollars to fund a quiet life in the UK. Some are retired; others just don’t need to work. They are slowly "pinching" their savings to get by. But under these new rules, their wealth is irrelevant. No employment income means no tax record. And no tax record means they are not getting past the gatekeepers.
Smart professionals are also about to get caught in their own loop. I know of Hong Kong BNO holders who aren't unemployed—they are just working "on the sly," taking remote gigs from Hong Kong to dodge UK taxes. It used to be a clever way to save a buck. Now, it is a liability. Without a UK tax footprint or local employment record, they have technically earned nothing in the eyes of the Home Office. When application time comes, they are going to face big trouble.
The education gap is another ticking time bomb. The survey reveals that 16 percent of respondents only have a secondary education. Let’s be realistic: hitting the B2 English level—roughly A-Level standard—is a pipe dream for this demographic. This single hurdle is going to cull a significant herd of applicants before they even get started.
The Language Barrier: With 16% of surveyed migrants holding only secondary education, the "B2 barrier" for English proficiency is set to trigger a wave of failures.
Panic is setting in as families realize they might be kicked out at the last minute. Distressed and confused, Hong Kong BNO holders are mobilizing. A petition demanding the government lower the bar—keeping the easier B1 English requirement and scrapping the income test—has already gathered 28,000 signatures. They are even planning a protest march for December 6.
Utility Over Humanity
London, sensing the rising heat, offered a vague olive branch yesterday. Officials claim the consultation is not yet finalized and teased a potential transitional arrangement. But do not hold your breath—nobody bothered to explain what that transition actually looks like.
Let’s call this what it is: habitual duplicity. When the chips are down, the British government puts utility first. A sharp analysis in Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao hit the nail on the head: by piling on these conditions, London is downgrading the BNO route from a special humanitarian channel to a high-threshold, ordinary immigration path. It has morphed into a policy demanding economic tribute, not a sanctuary.
The writing is on the wall. Don't expect them to lower the bar for permanent residence. Smart Hong Kong people should know better than to have high expectations.
Lai Ting-yiu
