Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Chow Hang-tung, who has been detained for over two years, has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement after receiving “too many letters.”
Chow, a human rights lawyer and former vice-chair of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, was said to have been placed in isolation for 18 days, according to a Facebook post in one of her support groups on Monday.
She has been detained since September 2021 for allegedly inciting subversion under the national security law. A date for proceedings has yet to be set.
“The ‘queen of solitary confinement’… was sent into isolation again,” the Facebook post read. It said Chow had been sent to solitary confinement after receiving “too many letters,” adding that it was “incomprehensible.”
Responding to HKFP enquiries on Monday, the Correctional Services Department said it did not comment on individual cases, referring instead to its website for questions about letter arrangements and solitary confinement.
According to prison rules in Hong Kong, an inmate may receive or send any number of letters. On its website, the department said it monitored all outgoing and incoming letters and incoming publications for people in custody “in accordance with the law.”
In October, an international rights NGO expressed its concern after learning that Chow had reportedly been placed in solitary confinement six times since June.
Lau Ka-yee, Chow’s friend and a former executive committee member of the Alliance, told HKFP in October that Chow had been removed from her last stint in solitary confinement on October 14. She said Chow had been placed in isolation for reasons including the possession of items such as an extra pack of M&M’s and an extra notebook.
“The question is why she faced solitary confinement so many times even though she did not fight with others or riot,” Lau told HKFP in Cantonese.
Prisoners in solitary confinement are separated from other inmates and sent to a special unit, where they spend 23 hours alone.
The law stated that the CSD can send a prisoner to solitary confinement in five instances, including to punish a prisoner who has violated disciplinary rules, to segregate a prisoner against whom a report has been made, and to temporarily confine an unmanageable or violent prisoner.
Based on assessment by medical officers, prisoners can also be placed in solitary confinement to ensure they do not cause harm to themselves or others.
Human rights award
Chow was among the 12 winners of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law announced earlier this month. The award honoured “civil society’s commitment to human dignity and the inalienable human rights of all people,” according to a statement by the French and German foreign ministries.
The government, however, said it firmly opposed the prize being awarded to Chow. In a statement, the government said Chow was charged with “incitement of subversion” pending trial, adding that the award “clearly ran counter to respect for the rule of law.”
The 38-year-old has been charged and sentenced in relation to the banned Tiananmen vigils in 2020 and 2021. Her conviction and sentence linked to the 2021 event were quashed last December. However, the government has appealed the court’s decision.
Chow is separately appealing her conviction and sentencing in a security law case over refusing a data request by national security police.
The Tiananmen crackdown occurred on June 4, 1989 ending months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army dispersed protesters in Beijing.
Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
LATEST FROM HKFP
HKFP has an impartial stance, transparent funding, and balanced coverage guided by an Ethics Code and Corrections Policy.
Support press freedom & help us surpass 1,000 monthly Patrons: 100% independent, governed by an ethics code & not-for-profit.
