Hong Kong independence activists get record jail sentences for riots
Hong Kong — Three protesters from Hong Kong’s radical youth opposition were jailed on Monday for taking part in violent unrest, receiving the harshest sentences handed down to democracy activists since the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Edward Leung, 27, one of the leaders of a movement advocating Hong Kong’s independence from China, was jailed for six years for rioting and assaulting police in a 2016 overnight protest that turned violent. He was found guilty of rioting by a jury and had pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer. Two other activists, Lo Kin-man and Wong Ka-kui, were given sentences of seven years and 3.5 years respectively for rioting. About 130 people, mostly police, were injured when masked protesters tossed bricks and set rubbish bins alight to vent their anger over what they saw as mainland Chinese encroachment on the city’s autonomy and freedoms. The government quickly labelled the overnight unrest a "riot". Leung has supported Hong Kong’s outright ...
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