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Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai gets 20 years' jail
- derelicta 9mo ago[flagged]
- SilverElfin 9mo agoWhat makes Jimmy Lai a fascist, specifically? I’m reading about him but it seems like the opposite is true: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Lai https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Lai
- derelicta 9mo ago[flagged]
- SilverElfin 9mo agoCommunist forces meaning the authoritarian government of China, the CCP?
- derelicta 9mo agoSo authoritarian that its by far one of the most popular govt on Earth [1]. [1] https://allianceofdemocracies.org/democracy-perception-index https://allianceofdemocracies.org/democracy-perception-index
- aniviacat 9mo agoHow is that related?
- petcat 9mo agoI think it's illegal in China for the government to be unpopular... Otherwise you get 20 years in prison.
- ch4s3 9mo ago@dang this is obviously a troll account.
- laughingcurve 9mo agoyou didn’t even link anything specifically just a random lading page that doesn’t mention anything you just claimed
- greggoB 9mo agoLol what is this website - after a few seconds the page changes to a giant donation box - trying to exit that brings up an additional popup. Top quality stuff.
- komali2 9mo agoThe DPRK government is far more popular. Xi has a lot of work to do before an entire country will cry for three days straight to mourn his death!
- greggoB 9mo agoCan you provide some actual sources?
- derelicta 9mo agohttps://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-02-09/The-Jimmy-Lai-verdict-Law-evidence-and-judicial-professionalism-1KCScQt8bIs/p.html https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-02-09/The-Jimmy-Lai-verdict-...
- SilverElfin 9mo agoFrom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CGTN_(TV_channel) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CGTN_(TV_channel) > CGTN is the English-language news channel of state-run China Global Television Network, based in Beijing, China. It is one of several channels provided by China Global Television Network, the international division of Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), under the control of the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party.
- greggoB 9mo ago> From a legal perspective, the Lai judgment reflects the institutional professionalism of Hong Kong's courts. The proceedings were conducted in accordance with established judicial practice, with extensive evidence presented, tested and assessed under the criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt. The judgment, running more than 800 pages, was published in full, demonstrating the court's commitment to transparency and reasoned decision-making. That's the 2nd paragraph in the article. In my experience, articles that have to go to this extent to really convince the reader that the court is so above rapproach have an agenda. And gee, coming from a CCP state media outlet, I wonder what that agenda could be...
- ch4s3 9mo agoGet out of here with this Wolf Warrior jingoist bullshit. Your country was brutally suppressing a democratic movement in Hing Kong and Lai is only guilty of publishing books critical of the politburo. Which I might add is carrying out a genocide in Xianjang, illegally occupies Tibet, and mudrered perhaps thousands in and around Tiananmen Square in 1989. You'll note you can't even post on chinese social media anything containing both "Tiananmen Square" and "1989", and you call Lai a fascist... pathetic.
- mothballed 9mo agoHe made some supportive comments of Trump and has advocated for anti-socialist policies, which dumps him in the enemy bucket of anti-fascists.
- kspacewalk2 9mo agoIn my experience, a very significant proportion of self-reported "anti-fascists" and "anti-imperialists" turn out, upon closer scrutiny, to actually be anti-US-fascism and anti-US-imperialism. They ignore, downplay, deny and ridicule all allegations of fascism and imperialism when perpetrated by others, like China or Russia. In a somewhat related vein, there are entirely too many "anti-colonialists" in what is now fashionably called The Global South who, when push comes to shove, reveal themselves to be actually kind of okay with colonialism as long as it's not perpetrated against them. When a colonialist war of aggression is perpetrated against these white folks called "Ukrainians", and perpetrated by Russia, a country they really rather like, then what's a little colonialism between friends? Heck, Russia shows up with a colonialist militia to prop up dictators and mine for diamonds and gold all over the Sahel and it's like, heck yeah, thank for your kicking out the French. Really interesting logic.
- komali2 9mo agoTankies. I argue with them constantly. My opinion, they're mostly middle class westerners that grew up in a cradle of empire, sucking from the teat of exploitative resource extraction. Then when they stopped seeing the benefits of imperialism as their country fell into late stage capitalism and eating itself alive, they turn their resentment against capitalism and correctly identify it as what's ailing their society, but somehow completely fall for the propaganda that there are socialist countries on this planet that are "fighting capitalism." They do nothing to challenge their deeply rooted western arrogance or imperialist savior complex, and begin lecturing people from smaller nations that actually, it's not imperialism when a country with a red flag does it.
- verall 9mo agoI like to think that it is drummed up to increase division between left leaning people but of course I don't really know. Best of luck to you.
- elefanten 9mo agoIt’s quite plainly the CCP that is the Nazi regime of the 21st century.
- keepamovin 9mo ago[flagged]
- SilverElfin 9mo agoYou’re glad the period of fighting for democracy and civil rights in Hong Kong is gone?
- keepamovin 9mo agoWhere are those handy mainland astroturfers when you need 'em? They weren't fighting for anything. They were unhappy. And people like Lai and others whipped them up and sent their anger in a direction. And a lot of those kids went to jail. When they could have taken that energy and put it towards building a better tomorrow. In a place with so many opportunities and changing so fast, they bet it all on traditional education when they could have adopted the entrepreneurial spirit of their ancestral geneartions. Their violence only played into the hands of the Central Government to yield all the pretext it needed to enact the very things the "protesters" thought they were against.
- Anonyneko 9mo agoThis argument is often brought up against protesters, in Russian circles as well, but we need to remember that it's _the government_ that's jailing kids, not the protesters.
- keepamovin 9mo agoKids, need to remember they're responsible for their choices. The people who manipulated and misdirected their energy to ends that would come with heavy consequences have lots of responsibility, too.
- mrkstu 9mo agoViolence? They poke people with their umbrellas? Seriously, the only violence was that of state suppression.
- SilverElfin 9mo agoSad that the international community doesn’t do more to intervene in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet. As a reminder, China has violated the treaty around Hong Kong’s handoff. So really the UK and the rest of the world should have demanded its return. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-British_Joint_Declaration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-British_Joint_Declaration
- derelicta 9mo ago[flagged]
- Galanwe 9mo agoThe UK was happy to ignore the violation of the handover agreements and offer BNO passports to steal all the young brains of HK, unfortunately.
- ori_b 9mo agoSteal? You mean at gunpoint? Or did these people want to leave of their own free will, and take a chance they were given?
- jyscao 9mo agoBecause “international law” is a farce, recent U.S. actions against Venezuela is but the latest example of that fact. The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.
- deleted 9mo ago[deleted]
- Yizahi 9mo agoThe dissonance between this comment and the one above is striking really :) . One user asks for non-China countries to intervene in China or the occupied territories, and another user is outraged that the same has actually happened in Venezuela, despite that the only person to suffer had been one of the top-10 worst alive humans in the world (per millions humans harmed directly). Pray tell me, how exactly do you see international law intervening in Chinese crimes, so that it won't look like ops in Venezuela (at minimum)? Issuing a strongly worded letter and Xi would comply?
- riddlemethat 9mo ago[flagged]
- 0xedd 9mo ago[dead]
- pcdoodle 9mo ago[dead]
- fibers 9mo ago[flagged]
- novemp 9mo agoIf everyone followed the law we would never have revolutions, and Europe and America would still have slaves.
- coliveira 9mo agoThen he should be prepared to spend the rest of his life in jail.
- OKRainbowKid 9mo agoWho says he isn't? What is your point?
- hiprob 9mo agoThis is such an insane sentence I genuinely don't know if it's supposed to be demoralizing bait or you genuinely just said this
- novemp 9mo agoThanks for telling us you would not be prepared to fight for freedom. Everyone should be so forthright.
- Discordian93 9mo agoIt was all legal before China went and did retroactive legal changes
- komali2 9mo agoIn the PRC, like many countries, the law is nothing more than a tool wielded by the State to protect its interests. Said interests sometimes, but often don't, align with the needs of the people within the borders of the State. The actions of the State always align with the needs of those who hold the most power in that State. It doesn't matter if you follow the law or not if someone powerful decides your existence is inconvenient.
- yanhangyhy 9mo ago[flagged]
- axus 9mo agoWe cheer the American protestors too, and the Iranians. Yemen, Indonesia, and Thailand not really.
- yanhangyhy 9mo agoHow many Trump's bad polices did the protestors force him to retreat? if nothing changes, its a shitshow just for the people to feel good about themselves.
- komali2 9mo agoWhat's your alternative suggestion?
- yanhangyhy 9mo agonone of them work in reality, or maybe wish there maybe a Mao in the US someday or for a more popular opinion from most chinese people: you guys have guns, what are you waiting for?
- komali2 9mo agoMao's revolution failed, the PRC is a capitalist nation with a highly stratified class system and no path to Communism. Why would you wish that on the USA? And if you don't believe that, how does a peasant army stand up to the USA military?
- yanhangyhy 9mo ago> Mao's revolution failed, the PRC is a capitalist nation with a highly stratified class system and no path to Communism it failed doesn't means we forget it and dont want it anymore. we still think of him all the time and wish we can try again. we are not commusim, but we are still the closet one. and we still have the biggest chance to become one. so i hope USA people can have someone like him, and live a better life, not pathetic enough to compare their living standard to a developing country like china.
- minihoster 9mo ago[flagged]
- jorblumesea 9mo agocruel and obviously politically motivated, meant to send a message to HK and anyone who publicly criticizes the CCP.
- fleroviumna 9mo ago[dead]
- jajuuka 9mo agoNot surprising to see all the comments devolve into hyperbole. Nuance and thoughts on China in the west are just impossibilities.
- StopDisinfo910 9mo agoThere are plenty of nuance to be had on the situation in China but I wonder what you mean here. Are you arguing that it's legitimate to put a 78 years old from a former democratic city forcefully reintegrated to another state in jail for 20 years because he is saying that the will of the people should be heard?
- hnfong 9mo agoNice strawman. Where's your nuance?
- StopDisinfo910 9mo agoI would be happy for you to explain where exactly is the straw man and where you expect more nuance. You think he wasn't condemned because he expressed pro-democracy view and this is not a speech issue? I would like to read it rather than vague call for nuance.
- jajuuka 9mo agohttps://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336418/jimmy-lai-trial-all-eyes-hong-kong-court-set-deliver-verdict https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/33...
- komali2 9mo agoThe crime of "conspiracy to publish seditious materials" is an unethical law and should be abolished. We can argue that point if you'd like? Furthermore, promoting self rule is not seditious, it's anti imperialist. We can argue that one as well? The charge of colluding with foreign governments is blowing his actions way out of proportion so as to artificially inflate the severity of his "crime" for political reasons. We can argue that? We could also argue that the reason the CPC is doing this is to suppress any Hong Kong self-determinist agitation? Is anything I've said disagreeable on the premise of them being strawmen?
- EB-Barrington 9mo agoChina is repressive, autocratic, dictatorial, illiberal, unaccountable, coercive, censorious, surveillance-heavy, propagandistic, corrupt, brutal, heavy-handed, intolerant, secretive, and very very very militarised. Just an FYI.
- palmotea 9mo agoFYI, you're shadowbanned. Your comments by default show up as hidden for most users.
- EB-Barrington 9mo agoThanks, I looked into it. I seem to have a few flagged comments, but I'm not yet fully hellbanned. I guess I have to be a little less political on here.
- palmotea 9mo ago> I seem to have a few flagged comments, but I'm not yet fully hellbanned I think you're as fully banned as I've seen anyone be, and I don't think anything will change for your account if you're "little less political." You probably need to contact the admins, or start over with a new account (from a new IP address).
- onetokeoverthe 9mo ago[dead]
- adolph 9mo agoI was confused how someone could become a tycoon in "pro-democracy" but it seems as if he became a wealthy businessperson before and has been active and influential in preserving Hong Kong autonomy since the transfer of management to the PRC/CCP. Born in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, Lai was 12 when he arrived in Hong Kong as a stowaway on a fishing boat. He started working menial jobs and eventually founded a multi-million dollar empire that included the clothing brand Giordano. Lai began a new journey as a vocal democracy activist after China's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989. He went on to launch pro-democracy news outlets like Apple Daily and Next magazine, while regularly participating in demonstrations.
- insane_dreamer 9mo agoRight. His business empire, and Apple Daily, were started before the handover.
- deleted 9mo ago[deleted]
- c0nstantien 9mo ago[dead]