Min. 15 protest movement activists arrested in Hong Kong in 2020: trade unions worldwide demand release

dossier

“Hong Kong police arrested at least 14 trade unionists, MPs, activists and a media tycoon on Saturday on charges of taking part in illegal protests last year. Among those arrested were 81-year-old activist, former lawmaker and prominent lawyer Martin Lee, as well as Albert Ho, Lee Cheuk-yan and Au Nok-hin. Lai, Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum - a former Democratic Party lawmaker - were charged back in February over their involvement in a mass anti-government demonstration on August 31 last year. Lee Cheuk Yan is general secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU). Former MP Leung Kwok-hung is a well-known Hong Kong Marxist…” she saidReport “At least 14 arrests of prominent supporters of the protest movement in Hong Kong” on April 18, 2020 at the Working Worlds Forum about the current wave of repression in Hong Kong. Trade union declarations of solidarity and calls for the wave of arrests in Hong Kong:

• An international campaign is calling for freedom for trade unionist Lee Cheuk-yan and human rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung after being sentenced to seven years in prison each by the Hong Kong High Court
  “On August 21, 2026, the Hong Kong High Court convicted Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung for inciting subversion of state order under the National Security Law (NSL). On September 11, Lee was sentenced to seven years in prison; Chow received seven years and three months. Lee is the founder and chairman of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, the largest independent trade union federation forced to dissolve under the NSL. His only crime was his courage. Lee fearlessly fought for the rights of working people and for democracy. Our message - the message of millions of trade unionists around the world - could not be clearer: release Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung - immediately.”LabourStart campaign “Hong Kong: Freedom for Lee Cheuk-yan NOW!” dated 11-Sep-2026 in collaboration with the International Federation of Trade Unions, Construction and Woodworkers International, the Education International, the International Federation of Journalists and the Hong Kong Labor Rights Monitor.
• Hong Kong Labor Rights Monitor calls for renewed letters of protest for Lee Cheuk-yan, former general secretary of the HKCTU, and Chow Hang-tung, human rights lawyer, before the trial begins on January 22, 2026
  “…I am writing to draw your attention to the case against Lee Cheuk-yan, former general secretary of the HKCTU, and Chow Hang-tung, human rights lawyer. The two were charged with “incitement to subvert state power” for their roles in the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (Hong Kong Alliance). The case, which has been unjustifiably delayed for over four years, is scheduled to be heard in court on January 22, 2026. With this letter, I sincerely appeal to your organization to follow the international call for solidarity and support these political prisoners who are being persecuted for their beliefs. (…) The two defendants have long been committed to the fight for democracy and the defense of human rights and have consistently stood up for those who suffer from injustice and oppression. In particular, Lee Cheuk-yan, who comes from a strong labor movement, is one of Hong Kong's most respected and prominent independent trade union leaders. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions in 1990 (now defunct) and served as its executive director and general secretary. Lee was also active in the international labor movement. The HKCTU is part of an independent and militant trade union and a member of the International Labor Network of Solidarity and Struggle.
  In this critical situation, we urgently need the support and solidarity of trade union allies and human rights activists around the world to draw attention to this unjust trial and demand the immediate release of the two defendants.
  We kindly request that you refer to the attached sample cover letter and consider sending a letter with your concerns to the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your country or to the Head of Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. We also encourage you to make public statements or organize support actions to inform your members and the public about this case, and to urge your government to express its concerns to the authorities in Hong Kong through diplomatic channels…” from the English message from Christopher Mung of the Hong Kong Labor Rights Monitor (machine translated) to the International Labor Network of Solidarity and Struggle – see thisSample cover letter:
  • “…Our organization is deeply concerned about the upcoming trial of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (“Hong Kong Alliance”), namely Lee Cheuk-yan, a prominent trade union leader, and Chow Hang-tung, a lawyer and human rights advocate. They have been charged with “incitement to subvert state power” and are scheduled to stand trial at the Hong Kong Supreme Court on January 22, 2026.
    We would like to express our deep concern and call for the immediate withdrawal of all unjustified charges against her and her unconditional release…”
  • [Sample letters]
    To:
    The Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China / The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region* (*please delete where appropriate)
    Dear Sir/Madam,
    Our organization is deeply concerned about the upcoming trial of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (“the Hong Kong Alliance”), namely Lee Cheuk-yan, a prominent labor leader and Chow Hang-tung, barrister and human rights lawyer. They have been charged with “inciting subversion of state power” and are scheduled to stand trial at the Hong Kong High Court on January 22, 2026.
    We write hereby to express our grave concern and to urge the immediate withdrawal of all unjust charges against them and their unconditional release.
    Over the past 30 years, the Hong Kong Alliance has consistently upheld peaceful means—through commemorative vigils, rallies, and public assemblies—to call for accountability for the Tiananmen Square Massacre and to advocate for democracy in China. The authorities’ decision to prosecute these individuals under the National Security Law (NSL) for “inciting subversion” is an egregious violation of the fundamental freedoms of association, expression, and peaceful assembly that all citizens are entitled to. It contravenes the protections guaranteed under the Basic Law of Hong Kong and breaches the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Hong Kong is a signatory.
    The prosecution process has also raised serious concerns about violations of due process and judicial fairness. The two defendants were arrested in September 2021, and the case has been delayed for more than four years without trial. During this prolonged delay, they have been denied bail under the National Security Law, resulting in lengthy pre-trial detention without conviction. Furthermore, despite the charges carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, the authorities have denied the defendants the right to a jury trial, citing national security grounds, and have instead assigned the case to designated National Security Law judges, undermining the legal principles of justice.
    The National Security Law itself lacks legitimacy—it was imposed unilaterally by the Chinese government, bypassing established legislative procedures and public consultation in Hong Kong. The United Nations expert committees have repeatedly condemned the weaponization of the NSL to suppress dissent and have urged the Hong Kong government to repeal or cease applying the law, citing its inconsistency with international human rights standards.
    Since the enactment of the NSL, over 300 individuals have been arrested, including trade unionists, student activists, journalists, pro-democracy figures, and human rights defenders. This demonstrates that the NSL has indeed become a political tool to silence civil society and independent unions. Furthermore, following the NSL’s implementation, the authorities have tightened political control over trade union activities, and the legislature—now devoid of democratic representation—has passed amendments to the Trade Unions Ordinance that further undermine workers’ rights to form and operate independent unions.
    In light of the above, our organization hereby makes the following formal demands:
    1) Immediately withdraw the politically motivated prosecutions against Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung, and release them unconditionally;
    2) Comply with the recommendations of the United Nations expert committees by repeating the National Security Law and ceasing to use it to suppress dissent;
    3) Fulfil the obligations under international human rights and labor conventions by protecting the freedom of association and the right to form and join trade unions.
    Yours sincerely, [Name of the Union / Organization] Date: [DD / MM / YYYY]
• #FreeLeeCheukYan: Global trade union movement campaigning for the release of the Hong Kong trade union activist ahead of the January 2026 trial
  “Free Lee Cheuk-yan is an international campaign by the global trade union movement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Lee Cheuk-yan, a lifelong champion of workers' rights and democracy in Hong Kong. Lee, the former general secretary of the now-defunct Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), has been imprisoned since 2021 and is being prosecuted under the People's Republic of China Law on National Security in Hong Kong (NSL) for allegedly "inciting subversion of state power" - a charge that criminalizes peaceful activism and silences pro-democracy voices.
  The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and unions worldwide stand in solidarity with Lee and all those who continue to advocate for democracy and freedom of association in Hong Kong.
  Join us in demanding the following from the Hong Kong government
  1) Drop all charges against Lee Cheuk-yan.
  2) Drop all charges against Chow Hang-tung, who faces similar allegations.
  3) Release all trade unionists and activists imprisoned for exercising their rights.
  4) Repeal the National Security Law (NSL) and the National Security Order (NSO).
  5) Respect international human rights standards, including freedom of association and expression. (…)
  The “Free Lee Cheuk-yan” campaign focuses on his upcoming trial, which was originally scheduled for November 11, 2025 and has now been postponed to January 22, 2026. With this campaign we want to strengthen our solidarity and reiterate our demand for the release of Lee Cheuk-yan before, during and after the trial - until he is free.
  On the day of his trial on January 22, 2026, Lee Cheuk-yan will have been in custody for 1,742 days and will have completed a long period of pretrial detention. He was also repeatedly refused bail. Under the NSL, defendants must prove that they do not pose a “risk to national security” in order to be granted bail. This strict bail condition violates the right to a fair and speedy trial under Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
  Fellow activist Chow Hang-tung, who is also charged in the same case, was placed in solitary confinement several times. This approach highlights the erosion of the rule of law and civil and political rights under the NSL. (…)
  What can unions do?
  Lee Cheuk-yan's struggle doesn't just affect Hong Kong. It is about defending the universal rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly and democracy.
  Join us to take action to #FreeLeeCheukYan and fight for democracy in Hong Kong and everywhere it is under attack:
  – Raise awareness – Share Lee’s story in your networks, at union meetings and on social media using the hashtag #FreeLeeCheukYan.
  - Demand action - Write to your government and urge them to demand the release of Lee and the repeal of the NSL and NSO.
  – Organize solidarity actions – Organize public actions in support of Lee Cheuk-yan. Spread the message #FreeLeeCheukYan on social media. Release statements to join growing global calls for his release.
  –Sign the Petition – Stay tuned for the online petition that Amnesty International will launch on December 10th.
  -Defending democracy is not a crime!Free Lee Cheuk-yan!“ITUC/IGB campaign launched on November 24, 2025 (“Free Lee Cheuk-yan”, machine translated) with a history (see also here below) and a list of the repressions against independent trade unions and civil society organizations since 2020, see also:
  • Hong Kong: Free Lee Cheuk-yan
    “The International Trade Union Network for Solidarity and Struggle joins this international campaign…” EnglishReport from November 29, 2025 at Laborsolidarity 
• The situation in today's Hong Kong and the lives of the exiles: The repression against trade union activists continues
  "The repression in Hong Kong is still at an extremely high level. The Hong Kong Labor Rights Monitor points out the repression against journalists (…) The repression against trade union activists continues. (…) The Hong Kong Labor Rights Monitor writes: Verdict NSL47 is still pending. Carol Ng, former chairwoman of the HKCTU and Winnie Yu, former chairwoman of the HAHE, have been imprisoned for three years and two years and four months, respectively. Freedom for all Hong Kong political prisoners! Stop the political persecution! (…) The Hong Kong diaspora in their activities in the UK (…) organizes protests together with British union activists. (…) Protests for workers' rights take place in front of Apple's flagship store in London's Covent Garden: "From the Apple factories in China to the shops on our shopping streets. Stop forced labor, recognize free unions, stop collaborating with censorship!" (…) At the same time as the protest in London, an action took place at the Apple shop in Birmingham…” Reports from March 4, 2024 at the Working Worlds Forum with lots of photos and a video
• The repression continues: 8 Hong Kong demonstrators sentenced to up to 34 months in prison for rioting during the 2019 protests
  “Eight Hong Kongers have been sentenced to between 28 and 34 months in prison for their involvement in riots during the 2019 pro-democracy protests and unrest. The judge said the protesters had turned Hong Kong's economic and political center into a "battlefield" and that it was thanks to the fact that police did not use lethal force that there were no casualties. Ho Tik-heng, Jeffrey Fok, Jacky Wong, Lo Hong-kit, Chan Wo-yui, Chan Yan-fu, Nicola Shum and Lai Kui-chi appeared before District Court Judge Ernest Lin on Monday for sentence mitigation and sentencing.They pleaded guilty on March 27 to taking part in a riot on the main Queensway street in Admiralty on September 29, 2019. That day, pro-democracy protesters had organized an unauthorized “global anti-authoritarian” rally on Hong Kong Island, which resulted in several clashes between police and protesters.Charges against Chan Wo-yui and Chan Yan-fu for possessing laser pointers were dropped after the two pleaded guilty to rioting. (…) Citing that the protesters wore similar dark clothing and worked together to dig up bricks as weapons and use a "giant rubber band" to shoot objects at the government building, Lin said that the riot in question was "an anti-government activity that was planned in advance by more than one organization." (…) The judge set the sentence for Ho, Fok, Wong, Shum and Lai at 48 months after finding that they were willing to take part in the riot by wearing similar clothing and equipment to other protesters…” EnglishArticle by Peter Lee from April 17, 2023 in HKFP (“8 Hong Kong protesters jailed for up to 34 months over rioting in 2019 protest”, machine translated)
• The repression against participants in the revolt continues: protesting student shot by Hong Kong police sentenced 
  “An unarmed Hong Kong man who was shot by police during democracy protests three years ago was convicted on Monday (August 29) of several charges - including attempting to steal the firearm that shot him. Chow Pak-kwan, 23, was shot at close range by a transit officer outside a subway station in November 2019, as protesters called for a city-wide strike. The shooting was captured on a Facebook Live broadcast. It shows the officer drawing his gun and aiming it at the protesters blocking the street. He briefly wrestled with a white-clad protester as Chow approached. He then shot at Chow, hitting him in the stomach. He was later charged with attempting to steal the officer's firearm, obstructing police and attempting to evade arrest because he briefly broke free and ran a few meters despite the gunshot wound. A second student protester, Woo Tsz-kin, 22, was also charged with attempting to take the officer's weapon and obstructing police. The protester in white in the video was never identified. On Monday, both Woo and Chow were sentenced by District Judge Adriana Tse after a six-month trial. Judge Tse found it was reasonable for the police officer, identified only as "A" due to an anonymity order, to feel threatened and draw his firearm because people were blocking the streets and verbally abusing him.“Although both defendants were not carrying a weapon, they were still able to incite others at the crime scene and aggravate the situation,” Judge Tse ruled. (…) Both Chow and Woo were remanded in custody on Monday to await sentencing in October…”Translation of reports on September 16, 2022 in the Working Worlds Forum with lots of photos
• Trade unionist Lee Cheuk-yan's plea: The HKCTU published the defendant's speech “Your Honor: It is well known, as Your Honor has previously made clear, that a decision on conviction or sentence should be based on the law and not on politics. Nonetheless, I would like to make the following remarks to help this Honorable Court understand the political beliefs behind the events of the present case, which I would describe as the peaceful demonstration on October 1, 2019. (…) After completing my studies, I dedicated myself to various labor and democracy movements and took part in campaigns to support human rights in China. The reason for this is my strong belief that democratic reforms are the answer to China's way forward. Above all, the Chinese civil rights movement of 1989 changed my life. (…) Your honor, I have been working for democratic reforms in China for over 40 years. This is my unrequited love, the love for my country with such a heavy heart. (…) According to my own definition, patriotism is love for my people. The function of the national institution is to protect the freedom and dignity of the people, but not to control the minds and behavior of the people. Your Honor, this is a path of democracy that I have chosen. All these years I have taken to the streets, and all the while I have remained true to my original intentions and commitment…”Speech by Lee Cheuk-yan on May 25, 2021 translated and documented at the Working Worlds Forum 
• “Strike against the protest movement” by Fabian Kretschmer on April 19, 2020 in the taz online additionally reports: “… ““People around me are downright angry,” says 34-year-old social worker Lemon Fok, who is part of the moderate part of the protest movement: “My parents’ generation is dominated by sadness and hopelessness that this is the end of the ‘one country, two systems’ doctrine.” The 1984 Sino-British Declaration guaranteed Hong Kong a "high degree of autonomy" on the principle of "one country, two systems" until at least 2047 - 50 years after the return of the British colony. But on Friday, for the first time, Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong, the mainland's highest representative office in the special administrative region, said it was not subject to the semi-autonomous city's constitutional restrictions. One is entitled to participate in Hong Kong affairs. It bluntly stated that Hong Kong's right to self-government was "approved by the central government and that a high degree of autonomy is not complete autonomy." The central government would have “supervisory powers” ​​over the “authorized” city government. For the Communist Party, the landslide victory of the pro-democratic camp in the district elections in November was a slap in the face. Until now, the government team around President Xi Jinping had always dismissed the protesters as radical vandals who had no support among the general population...”

• “Hong Kong: Lawsuits for participation in the 2019 mobilizations must be dropped!” on April 19, 2020 at the Alternative Trade Union Network for Solidarity and Struggle (of which LabourNet Germany is a member) is the network's statement on these arrests, which calls for the suppression of all relevant proceedings and the immediate release of those arrested - as well as of all those arrested or already punished in connection with the months-long protests. The freedom to demonstrate must be defended - and, as an older demand is finally underlined, an independent commission of inquiry into police violence against the protests must be formed.

• “ITUC letter to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong about the arrest of Lee Cheuk Yan, General Secretary of the HKCTU” on April 18, 2020 at the International Trade Union Confederation documents the letter from the Federation to the Hong Kong head of government, which calls for the immediate release of the HKCTU chairman and all others affected, as well as pointing out that the HKCTU chairman is now being arrested for the second time for organizing unauthorized protests - an arrest that is as arbitrary as the first and therefore must be reversed immediately, as well as maintaining democratic rights.

The postMin. 15 protest movement activists arrested in Hong Kong in 2020: trade unions worldwide demand releaseappeared firstLabourNet Germany.