Two Hong Kong men have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit secession for joining a Taiwan-based group that advocates for the city’s independence.
Chan Tai-sum, 27, and Ng Chi-tung, 25, appeared in the District Court on Friday to face the charge under the national security law introduced by Beijing in 2020. according to for local media reports.
The pair admitted to being “active members” of the Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union between November 2024 and July 2025. The Taiwan-based group advocates for Hong Kong’s independence from China.
The court heard Chan told police after his arrest how he had joined the group to get political asylum in Canada, while Ng said he joined out of “curiosity”.
Police found chat logs on the couple’s phones showing they had communicated with other members of the group through the messaging app Line, and that Chan had contributed to the design of the group’s logo and the drafting of an organizational charter.
The defense submitted in mitigation that both defendants have autism; Chan had sought treatment since the age of 12 and Ng was diagnosed when she was in primary school.
Çani’s lawyers added that the defendant was was sentenced to one year in prison for sedition in 2022 leaving him “isolated” upon his release later that year.
He leaves in custody
District Judge Ernest Lin remanded the pair in custody pending sentencing on July 29. They have been banned ever since their arrest in July last year.
A third defendant in the case, a 16-year-old boy, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in December last year after pleading guilty to the same offence.
While the maximum penalty for dissociation is life behind bars, prison sentences imposed by the District Court are limited to seven years.
authorities ceased operations of the Hong Kong Independence Democratic Union and the Canada-based Hong Kong Parliament in December last year for national security reasons.
The government said the two groups’ objectives included promoting “self-determination” and subverting or undermining the basic system of the People’s Republic of China.
