Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai knew US conditions for continued support of protests, national security trial told
- Key prosecution witness says Jimmy Lai told him US wanted no police or civilian fatalities and that violence should stop at some point
- West Kowloon Court told Lai initially intended to convince ‘valiant’ demonstrators to pull back from their aggressive tactics using connections of witness
Paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah explained to the court the “expectations” of the West that Lai was trying to fulfil in his unsuccessful attempt to influence protesters during the turmoil.
The Jimmy Lai trial so far: daily updates on his Hong Kong national security case
West Kowloon Court heard Lai initially intended to convince “valiant” demonstrators to pull back from their aggressive tactics using Chan’s connections, believing he was closely associated with the group.
“Only when he told me at a later stage about the US government’s internal considerations, did I realise Jimmy Lai was not simply rallying for international support, but he knew certain criteria [for US support] and was trying to meet them,” said Chan, an accomplice witness.
Chan turned prosecution witness after pleading guilty to a count of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces in August 2021.
Prosecutors alleged that Lai used Chan to deliver his instructions to activists of the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) advocacy group to instigate economic sanctions and other hostile acts from the West against Hong Kong and mainland China.
Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai wanted to meet radicals ‘in bid to de-escalate’ chaos
The tycoon “dreaded” seeing the man being hurled with oil and set on fire, a message said. “It’s about time the young and brave should have leadership,” he said.
Chan said Lai, in a subsequent meeting at his Kadoorie Avenue home, “lambasted” the attack and said the radicals were prone to resorting to violence without showing organisation and restraint.
“If someone died [during the protests], the entire movement against the Hong Kong government would lose its moral high ground as well as international support,” Chan told the court.
The court heard Lai also cited a popular protest mantra – “yellow or blue is a question of politics; black or white is a matter of conscience” – and warned that some bottom lines could never be breached.
The witness recalled meeting Lai face-to-face for the third time in his car in Admiralty on November 27, where the tycoon told him he already had a good grasp about the valiant camp’s movements.
The trial continues on Wednesday.