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Defence argues Tiananmen vigil activists’ actions ‘lawful’ exercise of rights
Defence lawyer says Hong Kong group aimed to promote democracy and greater political freedom, not oppose or topple Communist Party leadership
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A disbanded alliance behind Hong Kong’s Tiananmen Square vigil had only intended to promote democracy and greater political freedom when it advocated the abolition of the mainland’s one-party rule, a defence lawyer has said in a high-profile national security trial.
Defence counsel Erik Shum Sze-man on Wednesday said ending the Communist Party of China’s one-party rule would have been a solution to the political crisis after Beijing’s military crackdown on pro-democracy protests on June 4, 1989.
He said the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China did not oppose the party or intend to topple its leadership, as its ultimate aim was to develop a democratic system across the border.
“Concerning the abolition of one-party dictatorship and whether it is equivalent to ending the Communist Party’s leadership, there are lawful means to achieve that,” Shum said, adding that all of the alliance’s objectives were a legitimate exercise of fundamental human rights.
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