Hong Kong hails 100% conviction rate in national security cases

As Hong Kong marked its “National Security Education Day” on Saturday, the security minister hailed the 100 per cent conviction rate in cases concerning national security.

The chief of public prosecutions also said that “upholding justice was in the DNA” of local prosecutors.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang praised the arrests and prosecution work over the past three years since the national security law was imposed in Hong Kong.

Mr Tang said it was done “very seriously” as he stated that around 250 people were detained over national security offences and 151 of them had been charged as of the end of last month.

“All 71 people who have gone through judicial proceedings were convicted. Only a small number of people in Hong Kong were involved, he added.

He stated that the provisions of the national security law were “very clear” and that ordinary citizens would not “accidentally breach the law”, according to Hong Kong Free Press.

Director of Public Prosecutions Maggie Yang told the media that the allegations by foreign media — that the Hong Kong government was using the security law to bring prosecutions “with other intentions” — were “totally false” adding that the work of the Department of Justice (DoJ) was carried out in “free from any interference”.

She added that the justice department ensures the defendants have a “completely fair and just trial”.

“I want to tell the Hong Kong citizens that defending the rule of law and upholding justice is in the DNA of our prosecutors. It is our original intention when we joined the DoJ.”

Earlier this month, John Lee said: “National security education should start from an early age. The Hong Kong government will hold workshops for primary schools and distribute 60,000 picture books to all of the city’s primary schools.”

Associated Press reported that China’s senior official overseeing Hong Kong’s affairs said Saturday that protests are not the only way for people to express their views, weeks after the city’s strict protest rules sparked controversy.

Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, said the anti-government movement sparked by an extradition bill in 2019 is a “scar that will not fade away” and he warned against a repeat of such chaos.