Albert Ho lets go of alliances

Maisy Mok

Jailed former lawmaker Albert Ho Chun-yan has resigned from all his roles in three organizations, including the June 4 vigil organizer.

Ho, who was vice chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, is facing charges of inciting subversion - along with the alliance's chairman, former lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan, and vice chairwoman, barrister Tonyee Chow Hang-tung.

Ho, 69, yesterday announced his immediate withdrawal from the alliance, adding he also quit the New School for Democracy and China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group.

The Democratic Party made the announcement on behalf of Ho, its former chairman. Ho did not say why he quit.

Ho is serving an 18-month prison term for inciting others to take part in unlawful assemblies relating to protests in 2019.

The three groups that he left had all been requested to submit information by national security police.

Police had accused the alliance of being a foreign agent and asked for information, such as its activities, expenditure and contacts.

The alliance refused to submit information to police last Tuesday, leading to the arrests of five of its standing committee members. They are Chow, Leung Kam-wai, Tsui Hon-kwong, Tang Ngok-kwan and Chan To-wai.

The top three leaders of the alliance - Ho, Lee and Chow - appeared in West Kowloon Magistracy on Friday for inciting subversion under the national security law. The hearing was adjourned to October 28.

Chow and four standing committee members pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with the requirement to provide information under the security law.

The pretrial review is set for October 21. As for the other groups, a director of the New School for Democracy, Andrew To Kwan-hang, requested police to extend the submission deadline for a month.

Emily Lau Wai-hing, a board member of the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group, said police have extended the submission deadline to next Tuesday.

The New School for Democracy is a political rights group that was founded in 2011 by Wang Dang, an exiled student leader of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

It moved to Taiwan in September last year.

Its secretary-general, Xing Zhong, told Reuters that the group is concerned about the safety of its staff as the group often criticizes the Chinese government and has taken part in Hong Kong's democracy fight.

The China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group is a nonprofit organization in Hong Kong that aims to protecting the rights of China's human rights lawyers and legal workers.

Ho pleaded guilty in the District Court on Thursday to inciting others to join the banned vigil on June 4 last year.

He also admitted taking part in an unlawful assembly with former legislators Cyd Ho Sau-lan, "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, Yeung Sum and Leung Kwok-wah.

maisy.mok@singtaonewscorp.com