12th October 2023 – (Hong Kong) In a statement released today, the Security Bureau confirmed that Zeng Yuxuan has been released from prison and subsequently removed from Hong Kong under section 19(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115). Zeng, a mainland Chinese postgraduate student, had been sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to attempting a seditious act. Her offense involved planning to display a large banner related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown on its anniversary.
The 23-year-old law student, Zeng Yuxuan, had been imprisoned for her intentions to unfurl a nine-meter vertical banner on a footbridge in Causeway Bay on 4th June. This date marked the 34th anniversary of the student-led demonstrations in China and the subsequent crackdown by the Beijing government.
Zeng had obtained the banner from mainland Chinese human rights activist Zhou Fengsuo, who is currently based in the United States. The planned banner display was part of a global campaign led by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, known for his eight-meter sculpture, the Pillar of Shame, which commemorates the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. The University of Hong Kong quietly removed Galschiøt’s sculpture in December 2021, citing safety concerns after it had stood on campus for 24 years.
In May, the national security police seized the Pillar of Shame as evidence in an incitement to subversion case involving the organiser and leading members of Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen crackdown vigil. During Zeng’s arrest on 2nd June on a separate sedition charge, police discovered the Tiananmen monument banner in a parcel from the United States at her residence. The banner featured an image of the Pillar of Shame and the words “The Tiananmen Massacre 1989.”
Prosecutors alleged that Zeng, together with Zhou and other unidentified individuals, intended to incite hatred or contempt against the Chinese authorities. Principal Magistrate Peter Law, in his ruling, described the banner display as an international event with a collective impact, held in various cities worldwide. He noted the meticulous planning undertaken by Zeng, including purchasing tools, conducting site checks, booking a nearby hotel, and informing the press to generate publicity. The magistrate emphasised that the content of the banner was pointed and could evoke emotions, particularly among like-minded individuals.