The Hong Kong government succeeded in stitching up nine people for the peaceful protests that shook the city in 2014. Their convictions are a death knell for civic society in Hong Kong. This is for them:
Nine innocent men face prison today
A priest, a lawyer, what can we say,
Public nuisances all of them, they
Incited inciting others to play.
The prosecution had work to do
Set up a show trial, witnesses few,
Archaic doctrines exhumed for view,
Whose meanings they could easily skew.
The defence in turn stated its fears
A chilling effect down through the years;
The verdict was writ, it became clear,
Before the counsel rose from his chair.
The ruling elite who run this place,
Their arrogance like a spit in the face,
Gloated away with absence of grace,
The masses put back again in their place.
Too far removed in their own Holy See,
They took their revenge, savoured with glee,
Killed the bête noir of democracy,
Revelling in their hypocrisy.
As to the other ninety percent,
Lacking a means to their grievances vent,
No legal channel for civil dissent,
Given up now, their energies spent.
Hopes for a voice, the Party won’t meet,
The law now a stick, dissent to beat,
No longer shall we take to the street.
But do the right thing: vote with our feet.
Dedicated to: Chan Kin-man (16 months), Benny Tai (16 months), Rev. Chu Yiu-ming (16 months, suspended), Raphael Wong (8 months), Siu Ka-chun (8 months), Eason Chung (8 months, suspended), Lee Wing-tat (8 months, suspended), Tommy Cheung (200 hours community service), Tanya Chan (sentence delayed pending medical treatment).