Hong Kong radio host in first 'sedition' trial since China handover

Tam Tak-chi, 48, is among a growing number of activists charged with sedition, a little-used decades-old law that prosecutors have dusted off in the last twelve months.

Best known by his moniker "Fast Beat", online talk show host Tam faces eight sedition charges for slogans he either uttered or wrote between January and July last year.At the opening of his trial on Thursday, prosecutors read out those slogans, as well as some pro-democracy speeches Tam gave, often littered with colourful Cantonese curse words.

The trial is a watershed legal moment for Hong Kong because it will set a precedent for what political phrases and views are now deemed illegal as China looks to stamp out dissent following huge and often violent democracy protests two years ago.On Tuesday, a Hong Kong court convicted a former waiter of terrorism and inciting secession in the first trial conducted under the new national security law.

By the time of Hong Kong's 1997 handover, it had not been used for decades and was a largely forgotten relic on the statute books in a city that had become a regional bastion of free speech.

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First person charged under HK security law found guilty of terrorism, inciting secessionHONG KONG (Reuters) -The first person charged under Hong Kong's national security law was found guilty on Tuesday of terrorism and inciting secession in a landmark case that carries long-term implications for how the legislation will reshape the city's common law traditions. Former waiter Tong Ying-kit, 24, was accused of driving his motorcycle into three riot policemen while carrying a flag with the protest slogan 'Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,' which prosecutors said was secessionist. Human rights groups have also criticised the decision to deny Tong bail and a jury trial, which have been key features of Hong Kong's rule of law.
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