Today, Hong Kong charged four people with making social media posts advising people not to vote in an upcoming election. At the same time, municipal officials continued their efforts to get more people to vote.
In 2021, Beijing changed Hong Kong’s election system so that only “patriots” may hold office. The December 7 poll will choose a second group of lawmakers under those restrictions.
According to AFP, less than a quarter of the seats are directly elected.
Authorities accused a 68-year-old retiree with the national security offense of “seditious publication.” They said he had constantly posted things online that made people hate the government and told them not to vote.
People who break the law could go to jail for up to seven years.
Two men and a woman, all between the ages of 55 and 61, were charged for reposting content that told others not to vote. The maximum sentence for this crime is three years in prison and a fine of HK$200,000 ($25,700).
Authorities issued arrest orders for two more people who were said to be the writers of the posts but were not in the city.
In 2021, Hong Kong made it illegal to tell people not to vote or to mess up their votes, even though voting is not required.
According to Hong Kong media, the city’s highest court will hear a legal appeal in May on whether the crime violates fundamental rights including free speech.
After months of big, sometimes violent pro-democracy rallies in 2019, Beijing changed how elections work in Hong Kong.
The first legislative race held under the new system in December 2021, which had no pro-democracy candidates, had the lowest turnout ever at 30%.
This time, authorities have covered a lot of the city in ads. Last month, Hong Kong leader John Lee exhorted the population to do their “civic duty.”
On election day, trains will run more often, and several employers have vowed to give workers a half-day off if they go to the polls.
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