Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Avery Ng is regaining her freedom after being released from prison in April. He served a 12-month sentence for unauthorized assembly under the Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution.
Ng and nine of his other activists were convicted last May of participating in an unsanctioned pro-democracy movement in October 2019. His ruling coincides with his 70th anniversary of the Chinese central government.
Ng has been in political turmoil since protesters in 2019 called on the Hong Kong government to repeal a controversial bill that would allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China for trial. It points out how the situation has changed.
The protests ultimately fueled calls for freedom, with demonstrators and police clashing in colleges, subway stations and the city's skyscraper-lined streets.
To prevent a recurrence of demonstrations, Beijing enacted Hong Kong's national security law and sentenced up to life imprisonment for acts deemed secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign countries. . Today, at least 150 dissidents have been arrested and a few are imprisoned under the law.
Ng has not been targeted under the law, putting him in a unique position compared to other activists.
"I am one of the few remaining, not in prison, not in technical exile," he said.
Since his release, the 45-year-old chairman of the Social Democratic League, a former activist group, has noticed the impact the crackdown has had on Hong Kong's independent media. What I quickly realized was that there was no news," Ng said.
Media Shutdown Closed in June 2021 after Lai and several of the outlet's executives were indicted under the Sedition Act.
Closed in December after police raided the newsroom. Other media outlets followed, including news site Stand News, which decided to do so.
``We don't have that many sources. It's too much to like, or you can share it [on social media]," says Ng. "On the surface, so is Hong Kong, but on a daily basis, its self-censorship puts a constant layer of fear on all of us." Hong Kong fell from 80th to 148th in the World Press Freedom Index, ranked by the Reporters Without Us (RSF).
Prior to the 2019 riots, Ng spent a month in prison for revealing the identity of a government official who was under investigation for corruption.
Ng and his colleagues are currently under surveillance by Hong Kong authorities.
On his July 1st of this year, which marked his 25th anniversary since Britain returned Hong to China, Ng and his group did not demonstrate. He didn't go into details.
"Hong Kong is sensitive at that time," Ng said, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping's anniversary visit. "We knew we couldn't do any more campaigning or street stalls." Banned and deployed thousands of people as a precautionary measure.
Mr Ng and his League of Social Democrats were "pressured to the point that they could not hold protests," he added, referring to chairman Chan Po-ying.
In the past, this date has featured prominently on Hong Kong's political calendar, but has often been met with protests demanding democracy and universal suffrage.
Despite setbacks, The Social Democratic League is still trying to continue its mission.Founded in 2006, the group positions itself as a radical wing in the democratic camp. But Ng's group is still one of them. An activist organization operating in Hong Kong.
Ng acknowledged that the group may eventually give in like others.
"There is a big question mark about the existence of the party. People are afraid to donate — not that they don't support — and we get arrested by the authorities and illegal fundraising.
"As long as we have mouths and are still in pain, we can do something." There are so many social problems in Hong Kong, such as social inequality, the deterioration of the education system, that at least someone needs to speak up.”
But Ng said he wasn't forced to leave Hong Kong like pro-democracy activist Nathan Low and former Democrat MP Ted Hui.
"[I don't want to leave]," he told his VOA. "Hong Kong is my hometown and I don't want to leave it. And when I see my house on fire, I try to stay as long as possible. I'm a cautious optimist. Yes, we are gray dark. In my time, I still have hope."