Hong Kong jails first person for insulting national anthem

HONG KONG: A Hong Konger who waved a colonial-era flag while watching a public broadcast of the Tokyo Olympics became the first person to be jailed for insulting China´s national anthem, local media reported on Thursday.

Paula Leung, 42, pleaded guilty to insulting China´s “March of the Volunteers” when it was played after Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung won a gold medal, according to the South China Morning Post. Leung waved a colonial-era Hong Kong flag as the medal ceremony was shown on a shopping mall´s big screen in July 2021, the court heard.

A magistrate jailed Leung for three months and said the defendant seriously disparaged the anthem and damaged the country´s dignity, the Post reported. Hong Kong passed legislation in 2020 banning insults to China´s national anthem following huge and sometimes violent democracy protests, part of a wider crackdown that has stifled dissent in the city.