Security Crackdowns Jail Macau and Hong Kong Activists

Macau has sentenced former lawmaker and pro-democracy campaigner Au Kam San, 69, to 12 years and six months in prison in the territory’s first national security case. After a three-day trial held behind closed doors, Au was convicted of four of seven charges, including subversion against the political power of the state. Prosecutors said he had assisted “external hostile organisations” by collecting and sharing information they described as politically subversive. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the details of the case. Au’s wife, Virginia Cheang, called the prosecution a “groundless persecution designed to humiliate Au” and said she hoped the family would be allowed to write to and visit him regularly. His family had previously said he was not permitted to choose his own lawyer and was assigned one by the court. The case comes amid an expansion of Macau’s national security framework. The law, introduced in 2009, criminalised treason, secession and subversion; revisions in 2023 broadened its scope to include non-violent acts of secession, and further changes this year permitted trials to be held behind closed doors. Macau returned to Chinese administration in 1999 after more than four centuries of Portuguese rule. Au, a former primary school teacher, was elected to Macau’s Legislative Assembly in 2001 and served for 20 years as one of a small number of pro-democracy lawmakers in a legislature dominated by pro-Beijing members. He also co-organised annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Such vigils, once tolerated in Macau and Hong Kong, have effectively been banned since China imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020. Au’s sentence followed Hong Kong’s sentencing of democracy activist Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison. Wong has been in custody for six years.

Canada and nine other countries issued a joint statement condemning the 10-year prison sentence imposed on Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong under the city’s National Security Law (NSL). The statement called for an end to what the governments described as “unjust prosecutions” and urged authorities in China and Hong Kong to respect commitments and rights guaranteed under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States joined Canada in criticizing the use of the NSL to target political expression and participation. Wong, described as a global figure in Hong Kong’s democracy movement, was already serving a separate four-year-and-eight-month sentence and had previously been expected to be released in January. The article places the sentence in the context of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule in 1997 and the “one country, two systems” arrangement, which was supposed to protect the territory’s autonomy and freedoms. After pro-democracy protests between 2014 and 2019, China introduced the NSL in 2020, expanding authorities’ investigative and extradition powers and strengthening penalties for conduct they regard as subversive or terrorist. Protest leaders have since been arrested or gone into exile. The article also notes that media tycoon Jimmy Lai received a 20-year sentence earlier in the year, prompting international criticism. Separately, Macao’s Court of First Instance sentenced longtime pro-democracy legislator Au Kam San to 12.5 years in prison in the territory’s first known national security trial. Au, 69, was convicted of subversion, establishing links with foreign groups or individuals to endanger national security, and violating secrecy. The court acquitted him on two other subversion counts for lack of evidence. Human Rights Watch criticized the closed proceedings, citing due-process violations and warning that the sentence would chill peaceful criticism. Au had served nearly two decades as a legislator and advocated democratic reforms and civil society initiatives.

Macau’s first publicly known national security prosecution has ended with former lawmaker and pro-democracy campaigner Au Kam San sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison. The 69-year-old was convicted of several offences, including “subversion against the political power of the State.” Prosecutors accused him of supplying false information to anti-China organizations outside Macau to encourage hostility toward the city’s government and Beijing. A court statement said Au had, over an extended period, helped external organizations collect, prepare and distribute images and information containing political claims it characterized as subversive. It also said he sought to stir hatred toward China’s central government and undermine the country’s political system. Au was detained in July 2025. His prosecution was the first publicly known case under Macau’s national security law, introduced in 2009. His trial was held behind closed doors and concluded in September after three days. A judge had rejected an open trial, citing the protection of national security. Critics raised concerns about the fairness of the proceedings and said the case reflects China’s prioritization of security and intolerance of dissent. The European Union had previously criticized Au’s arrest, warning that it added to concerns about the erosion of political pluralism in Macau. Au served for two decades in Macau’s legislature, which is dominated by pro-China loyalists, and left office in 2021. He also co-organized vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Macau, a former Portuguese colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1999, is a special administrative region, as is neighboring Hong Kong.

Former Macao lawmaker and pro-democracy activist Au Kam San was sentenced to 12½ years in prison in the territory’s first publicly known prosecution under its national security law, enacted in 2009. A court convicted the 69-year-old of subverting state power, breaching confidentiality and contacting people or organizations outside Macao to commit acts endangering national security. The trial took place behind closed doors in September. The court said Au had helped overseas groups disseminate information it characterized as false and had sought to incite hostility toward China’s central government and undermine the 2024 city leader election. It also said he disclosed confidential information about gaming-license renewals while serving as a lawmaker. The court described his intent and the potential consequences as serious, despite his being a first-time offender and admitting to some facts. Au’s family and legal observers challenged the proceedings and the court’s account. His wife, Virginia Cheang, called the case a political trial and groundless persecution. His daughter said the verdict could define the limits of citizens’ rights and described Macao as no longer feeling like a safe space. Portuguese lawyer Jorge Menezes said the secrecy around the trial and the lack of detail about the alleged organizations and information made the court’s statement potentially misleading; he said Au had not pleaded guilty. He also argued that the case sends a warning to residents and could have significance for Hong Kong. Au’s international counsel urged Portugal and the European Union to seek permission for the Portuguese citizen to leave Macao, warning that the sentence could amount to life in prison. Au served in Macao’s legislature for 20 years, leaving in 2021, and was known for mild criticism of government policy and for organizing commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Macao’s government backed the verdict and pledged strict enforcement of the security law. Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said it demonstrated Macao’s resolve to safeguard national security, while China’s Foreign Ministry opposed what it called outside interference.

Ten governments, including the United States, Britain, Germany and France, condemned the 10-year prison sentence imposed on Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong. The joint statement was issued on Nov. 6, a day after Wong was sentenced for “collusion with foreign entities” under Hong Kong’s national security law (NSL). Wong has been in jail since 2020; the new sentence adds a further 10 years of imprisonment. The statement’s signatories also included Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand. They said Wong’s case was another example of the NSL being used to target people for political expression and participation. The law was imposed by China on Hong Kong in 2020, following demonstrations that were sometimes violent. The governments called for an immediate end to what they described as unjust prosecutions under the law, and urged the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to respect commitments and protect rights and freedoms guaranteed to Hong Kong’s people under the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The article also reports a response from Britain’s embassy to British lawmakers who had criticized Wong’s sentence. On Nov. 5, the embassy urged them to respect China’s sovereignty and Hong Kong’s rule of law, and to stop interfering in Hong Kong and China’s internal affairs. China’s embassy had not immediately responded to a request for comment on the joint statement. The report presents the international criticism alongside the sovereignty-focused response, without offering further comment or analysis.