On Wednesday, the trial against five children’s book authors began in Hong Kong. It writes Hong Kong Free Press. Among other things, the authors have published the book “The Twelve Warriors from the Sheep Village”. Now they are accused of sedition. All accused deny criminal guilt. Incitement as a legal term is used when someone tries to encourage others to use violence against a superior. The trial was later adjourned until July 18. The judge believed that the prosecution had presented enough evidence to be able to proceed with a so-called “prima facie” case. “Prima facie” means that one of the parties in the case has enough evidence to support each point in his case. The prosecution therefore requested that the further proceedings be postponed, in order to be able to prepare the case. Believes the metaphor is clear The Hong Kong Public Prosecutor, Laura Ng, argued in the case that the “sheep” represent the Hong Kongs, while the “wolves” represent the Chinese. – The people of Hong Kong are portrayed as vulnerable minorities. The Chinese overlords as cold-blooded, totalitarian and brutal, the public prosecutor said. In one of the books, the Chinese are said to have been portrayed as selfish and unhygienic. They are also said to have been blamed for the corona pandemic, according to Ng. A page from one of the children’s books from the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists. Photo: General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists Believes the books are inspired by political chaos in 2019 and 2020 Ng believes the books are obviously inspired by the political chaos that unfolded in 2019 and 2020 in Hong Kong. In June 2020, the Communist Party of China introduced a national security law. The effect of the law was a curtailment of human rights and political freedom in Hong Kong. In 2020, twelve activists tried to escape prosecution due to the Security Act. State Attorney Ng believes the parallel with the children’s book “The Twelve Warriors from the Sheep Village” is clear. A person with a hood over his head is abducted by a police officer while the offices of the General Union of Hong Kong Speech Therapists are searched in July last year. Photo: Vincent Yu / AP Risks two years’ imprisonment The five accused, two men and three women in their 20s, belong to Hong Kong’s trade union for speech therapists, which has now been closed down. They were arrested in July last year. They have since been denied bail, and have now been in custody for a total of ten months. The Security Act from 2020, on the other hand, does not cover sedition. This is covered by a law from the 1970s, when Hong Kong was still a British colony. Thus, the five accused risk a relatively short sentence of two years. The trial lasts for five days.
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Published children’s books – can be convicted of sedition in Hong Kong – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
