BANGKOK, THAILAND —
Hong Kong’s jailed activist Joshua Wong receives birthday wishes from friends in Thailand posters with posters pinned to the back of Tuk Tuks to show their support and solidarity.
Admin of Joshua Wong’s Facebook fanpage, sharing a photo taken in Chulan-Samyan, Bangkok, wrote: “Received a post from an online friend, locals who care about Hong Kong, arranged these hanging board on Tuk Tuk, to express their birthday wish to Joshua Wong!” and thanked the support from different places for Wong.
The posters at the back of the Tuk Tuks, Thailand’s unique mode of transportation with modified bikes and attached carriage, writes, “Happy Birthday, Joshua Wong” and has the hashtag, #milkteaalliance written in Thai, Mandarin and English. The Milk Tea Alliance is an online democracy and human rights movement consisting mainly of netizens from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and Myanmar.
25 years-old Joshua Wong was jailed for three separate convictions related to pro-democracy protests and a banned Tiananmen Massacre vigil.
As an ex-student leader and outspoken advocate for democracy in Hong Kong, he was earlier sentenced to 13.5 months in December 2020 for organising and taking part in unauthorised assemblies.
He was later sentenced to a further four months in jail on April 2021, for an unauthorized assembly in October 2019 and violating an anti-mask law, which saw his previous 13.5 months sentence extended.
Joshua Wong, along with 46 other pro-democracy politicians and activists, is facing subversion charges under the controversial National Security Law passed on 30 June 2020 by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
The law establishes four particular crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign organisations; Any open speech, verbal promotion or intention of Hong Kong’s secession from China is considered a crime as well.
Hong Kong authorities have accused them of being involved in unofficial primary polls held in July 2020, which were intended to help the opposition camp to select candidates for the upcoming Legislative Council Election.
Authorities claimed that these candidates had intended to secure a majority in the legislature, which later they could veto the government budget, eventually “paralyse government operation” and force the Chief Executive to resign.
The subversion case was first heard in March 2021. Only 13 democrats are on bail awaiting trial, while many others had their bail denied and have been detained for more than 18 months already, including Joshua Wong who has been imprisoned since 23 November 2020.
If convicted, they can face up to life imprisonment under this Beijing-imposed security law.