Taiwanese Civil Groups Raise Alarm Over Sentencing of 'Hong Kong 47'

TaiwanPlus News

More Taiwanese civil groups have come out against the sentencing of 45 of the "Hong Kong 47" pro-democracy activists under the new Beijing-imposed national security law. Some see it as a warning for Taiwan.

Transcript

00:00Democracy is not a crime. One country, two systems is a lie.

00:05More civil society groups here in Taipei

00:08are condemning the arrest and conviction

00:10of a group of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists

00:13known as the Hong Kong 47

00:15and is calling for their release.

00:17First, the CCP should immediately release

00:20the 45 people who have been sentenced

00:23and all the democratic activists

00:25who have been treated unfairly.

00:27Second, the CCP should immediately remove

00:30all political accusations against Hong Kong pro-democracy activists.

00:33Third, the CCP should immediately withdraw from the National Security Law

00:36and implement a real general election to restore Hong Kong's democracy.

00:39All but two of the 47 activists and former politicians

00:43were convicted last week under a Beijing-imposed national security law.

00:47Authorities say the 47's holding of an unofficial primary

00:51for legislative candidates was an attempt to overthrow the government.

00:55Human rights groups and leaders around the world

00:57have condemned the sentencing,

00:58calling it an unjust attempt to suppress dissent.

01:01Those sentiments were echoed by those here today

01:03who say that the case has significance for Taiwan as well.

01:07If you lose your sovereignty,

01:09you don't have to talk about it anymore.

01:11This is a warning to the people of Taiwan,

01:13especially young people.

01:14Taiwan's democracy and human rights

01:17should be cherished.

01:19It reminds me of our history about white terror.

01:24Do you know?

01:25Yes.

01:27So history is never the past.

01:30China, they say they want to beat us every day.

01:39So of course we are a little bit afraid of China.

01:42Maybe one day they will send their army to us.

01:47We still have to do this right.

01:49While the civil groups here say there's little chance

01:51of the 45 Hong Kong activists to be released

01:54or for political rights to return to Hong Kong,

01:56they say they'll keep working to support those

01:59fighting for democracy in the territory.

02:01Fu Hua Hong and Chris Gorin for Taiwan Plus.

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