Former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has denied making unfounded allegations against Beijing of meddling in Hong Kong’s internal affairs, but admitted calling for continued resistance over claims there was no room for “constructive dialogue” with the city government.
Advertisement
Prosecutors on Thursday accused Lai of inciting public hatred towards central and city authorities with “exaggerated” and “totally unfounded” claims in two articles he wrote for the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper in May 2019 and April 2020.
The 77-year-old tabloid founder was testifying at West Kowloon Court for the 44th day in his national security trial after he pleaded not guilty to two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.
Prosecutors cited a 2020 article titled “Despotic tyranny suppresses, Our spirit is immortal”, where Lai appealed for continued resistance after Beijing’s top office in Hong Kong declared it was not bound by a non-intervention provision in the city’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law.
Lai said in the article that the announcement marked “the beginning of the end of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” and warned that Hongkongers would “return to slaves living at the mercy of Emperor Xi [Jinping]”.
Advertisement
The defendant also said he hoped the Communist Party of China would “temporarily exercise restraint in its persecution of Hong Kong” in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and while the nation was subject to “censures and partial sanctions” by the United States.
In court, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Chau Tin-hang argued Lai attempted to galvanise Apple Daily readers “by using exaggerated and totally unfounded statements”.