Hong Kong student pleads guilty to sedition over 13 pro-independence social media posts, most of which she made while in Japan
- West Kowloon Court hears Mika Yuen violated colonial-era sedition law by posting images of offensive banners and adding captions advocating city’s independence
- She will be sentenced next month over the posts, most of which she made while studying in Japan
A Hong Kong student pleaded guilty to sedition on Thursday over 13 pro-independence social media posts, most of which she published while she was pursuing her education in Japan.
West Kowloon Court heard Mika Yuen Ching-ting had violated the colonial-era law by posting images of offensive banners and adding captions insisting Hong Kong independence was “the only way out” on photos used on her Facebook profile.
The 23-year-old also shared a tweet that called the Chinese Communist Party a “terrorist organisation”, and urged others to witness the downfall of the authorities.
A prosecution case summary said the offence covered a 4½-year span between September 2018 and March 2023, with only two posts published while Yuen was in Hong Kong.
The summary highlighted a Facebook post where she shared her thoughts on a Tokyo museum exhibition about the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
She wrote in Japanese that freedom was something to fight for and win through bloodshed and perseverance.
“[I] will keep watching closely, sharing my thoughts and influencing the people around me so that this country will not cease being one,” Yuen said.
Senior Inspector Yau Cho-yi, of the National Security Department, argued the statement, especially the use of the word “country” in describing Hong Kong, was proof of Yuen’s determination to advocate the city’s separation from mainland China.
