Since the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) implemented in 2020, we’ve seen plenty of high-profile cases hit the courts, and the verdicts are rolling in. But the real issue is a pattern that’s too obvious to ignore: whenever the heat turns up on these major national security charges, the people with legal degrees are the first ones to run for the exits, cut ties, or plead guilty to save their own skin.
The 'Gang of Four' Breaks Rank
Click to Gallery
Democratic Party founding chairman Martin Lee, who knew when to stop talking.
Alvin Yeung, former Civic Party leader and barrister, changed his tune once he was the one facing jail time.
After fleeing to Taiwan, Tanya Chan went from barrister to chef, keeping a low profile.
Benny Tai, the legal scholar who did the math and pleaded guilty early in the "35+ Subversion Case." (Image source: Sing Tao Daily)
Make no mistake: Martin Lee, the founding chairman of the Democratic Party and long branded as one of the "Gang of Four" damaging Hong Kong, spent years lobbying in Europe and the US alongside former Chief Secretary Anson Chan. Their goal: begging foreign politicians to slap sanctions on SAR government officials.
Democratic Party founding chairman Martin Lee, who knew when to stop talking.
However, right before the NSL came into effect in 2020, both Lee and Chan suddenly hit the brakes to find a way out.
Just weeks before the law took effect on June 30, 2020, Martin Lee sat down with The New York Times and suddenly changed his tune. In that interview, the seasoned Senior Counsel had plenty to say about opposing violence, even slamming the "laam chau" (mutual destruction) crowd as "haven’t got a clue". He bluntly stated: "If you start the revolution, and then you’re completely defeated, many people will die with you. So how does that help Hong Kong?" He even claimed he had "always stood by One Country, Two Systems" and criticized independence calls for costing Hong Kong international support.
What matters is the timing. Commentators noted that while the NSL isn't retrospective, it clearly defines "collusion with foreign forces." Martin Lee, as the most senior “Senior Counsel” in the game, knew exactly where the risks were. By high-profilely "cutting ties" in foreign media, he was effectively announcing in advance that he wouldn't dare cross the line once the law was in force.
The receipts show Lee isn’t new to this—he’s been arrested three times for unauthorized processions. Take the "8.18 Unauthorized Assembly Case" of 2019: he was convicted of both "organizing" and "participating," landing an 11-month sentence suspended for 24 months.
Lee and six others, however, wouldn't just accept the verdict. They appealed, managing to get the "organizing" charge quashed by the Court of Appeal, but the "participating" conviction stuck. Not content to leave it there, they dragged the case all the way to the Court of Final Appeal—only to suffer a final, definitive defeat.
Admitting Guilt to Save Themselves
Then you have Alvin Yeung, the former Civic Party leader and practicing barrister, who pleaded guilty in the "35+ Subversion Case." Yeung pleaded guilty while in remand, cooperated with police, and expressed remorse early. He ended up with 5 years and 1 month, and estimates suggest he’ll be walking free this March.
Alvin Yeung, former Civic Party leader and barrister, changed his tune once he was the one facing jail time.
During his mitigation in September 2024, Yeung admitted that as a lawyer, confessing to a criminal offense was embarrassing. He acknowledged his naivety and blind passion led him astray, dragging Civic Party members into "this hopeless and illegal scheme" and causing his family immense anxiety. He even admitted his rhetoric worsened the political situation and promised to quit politics for good.
But consider this hypocrisy: back in 2017, at a rally for the anti-North East New Territories development case defendants, Yeung famously said that for those imprisoned, "this criminal record makes their lives more colorful." That tune changed pretty quickly to "regret" and "embarrassment" once he was the one in handcuffs facing national security charges.
Exiting the Stage Entirely
Another example is Yeung’s former colleague, Tanya Chan. In September 2020—right after the NSL landed—Chan, a barrister and Civic Party co-founder, suddenly decided to quit the party and politics altogether. She claimed major brain surgery meant health and family were her only priorities. She then moved solo to Taiwan, ditching the barrister robes to become a chef in a private kitchen.
After fleeing to Taiwan, Tanya Chan went from barrister to chef, keeping a low profile.
And let’s not forget the classic case: Benny Tai. The former HKU law professor and mastermind behind the "35+ Subversion Case" was categorized as a "principal offender." Yet, even he pleaded guilty as early as the third mention. As a legal scholar, Tai knew the math: pleading guilty gets you a one-third sentence reduction. The earlier, the better. The court set a 15-year starting point, but thanks to his plea, he got 10 years.
Benny Tai, the legal scholar who did the math and pleaded guilty early in the "35+ Subversion Case." (Image source: Sing Tao Daily)
An insider puts it bluntly: these examples prove that the people who know the law best—barristers and scholars—know that once the evidence is irrefutable, they have zero chance of winning. They dissociate or plead guilty immediately to minimize the damage.
The key point: deep down, these people knew exactly where the "legal lines" were and that they had violated the National Security Law. Repenting early and backpedaling fast was simply the smartest play they had left.
Ariel
** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **
The National Security Department of the Police Force launched an enforcement operation on October 6. Officers arrested a man and a woman in Kwun Tong District and Tsim Sha Tsui District respectively, both aged 38.
The arrested persons are suspected of violating Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, namely the offence of "doing an act with a seditious intention." Sources indicate that the arrested man is Wong Ka-ho, a former member of the localist group "North District Dynamic." The other arrested person is his girlfriend.
It is understood that during the black violence period, someone set up a social media page named "YellowInsurance," covering platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. While promoting insurance business, the page repeatedly published posts supporting the black violence and expressing solidarity with "brothers and sisters."
It also spread messages smearing the Central Authorities and the SAR Government, promoting "Hong Kong independence," and attempting to incite public hatred toward the Central Authorities and the SAR Government.
After the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, this page shifted to continuously inciting through "soft resistance" tactics. It used hashtags or so-called "acrostic poems" and other obscure "edge ball" forms to disseminate anti-China and pro-riot messages and incite "Hong Kong independence." It also promoted the black violence song "Glory to Hong Kong," various yellow shops, and participation in the "yellow economic circle" mobile application "Punish Mee," in an attempt to imperceptibly poison the general public.
Using hashtags or so-called "acrostic poems" and other obscure forms to disseminate messages. (Online image)
The page involved claimed that it could arrange various types of insurance for customers, yet did not disclose the identity of the person in charge or the relevant licence status. An insider's analysis pointed out that this operating method lacked transparency.
The page imitated the operating model of the "yellow economic circle" and hinted in its posts that it was run by anti-government "yellow people," thereby using the political halo to attract yellow-camp consumers to take out insurance through its platform and earn insurance commissions for profit.
Sources say the two arrested individuals are suspected of managing these pages. Wong Ka-ho claimed to work as a financial adviser at a local investment company and holds an insurance intermediary licence. The arrested girlfriend does not work in the insurance industry and does not hold an insurance intermediary licence, and is suspected of having been instigated by Wong Ka-ho to help manage social media.
Under the Insurance Ordinance, selling insurance without a licence or taking part in related regulated activities is a criminal offence. That includes making applications or providing advice on insurance contracts.
Founded in 2015, "North District Dynamic" repeatedly launched and joined protests against parallel traders. Wong Ka-ho was active in those activities and ran in the District Council election that same year for "North District Dynamic", but the pro-democracy camp at the time accused him of "splitting the vote".
In November 2016, Wong and several former members of Demosisto and the League of Social Democrats joined a march against the NPC's interpretation of the Basic Law. He was later arrested for surrounding the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government building and throwing hard objects at police.
In March 2020, Wong Ka-ho and Lui Chi-hang, one of those convicted in the "35+ subversion case", went to MTR Fanling Station to disrupt a signature street booth organized by citizens in "support of Article 23 legislation". The move triggered a pushing and shoving incident involving more than 20 people from both sides.
Reports at the time said Wong and his associates livestreamed the process online during the incident and afterwards shared photos of their own injuries online to court sympathy, and were accused of premeditation.
The "yellow economic circle" broadly refers to the economic activities of so-called "mutual support among brothers and sisters" initiated by some anti-China, destabilizing elements after the 2019 black violence. A senior figure pointed out that in essence it is about amassing wealth by inciting hatred and social confrontation, which both endangers national security and damages Hong Kong's economy and prosperity and stability.
After the Hong Kong National Security Law took effect, the forces concerned still hide in the community, poisoning the public through "soft resistance" to seek private gain, planting major hidden dangers for Hong Kong's long-term stability and prosperous development.
According to records, many people who took part in anti-government activities during the 2019 black violence hoped to profit through the "yellow economic circle".
For example, Chu Kong-wai is suspected of promoting MPF schemes without an MPF intermediary licence. He marketed MPF consolidation schemes on social platforms and through other channels as a "financial adviser", calling on "brothers and sisters" to let his team manage their MPF accounts and claiming they could obtain ideal returns. He was criticized for disregarding clients' potential financial losses.
Chu was attached to Manulife senior branch manager Lee Chun-wah. Before entering the insurance industry, Lee had been a male PE teacher at a secondary school, during which time he associated with a 14-year-old underage girl and once sat on the back of a half-naked girl to take photos, involving indecency toward an underage girl.
He was later revealed to possess nearly a hundred pornographic photos and videos of another girl at the school. He was ultimately convicted on two counts of committing indecent acts against a child under 16 and possession of child pornography.
Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung mentioned in a radio program a few days ago that Hong Kong currently still faces four major national security risks. They include smearing by external forces, local terrorist activities, those who have absconded overseas continuing to advocate "Hong Kong independence", and hidden "soft resistance". He said bluntly that the most evil thing is "soft resistance", because it may not be very obvious.
The expert points out that this case proves the national security risks from "soft resistance" still exist. The acts in the case are suspected of violating "doing an act with a seditious intention," a serious offence that carries a maximum penalty of 7 years' imprisonment on first conviction.
The expert believes the police will continue to ensure that laws are observed and strictly enforced and that lawbreakers are prosecuted. The force will effectively prevent, stop and punish any acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law.
