Hong Kong duo admit joining pro-independence group ‘out of curiosity’, asylum bid

Two Hong Kong men convicted of violating the Beijing-decreed national security law have said they joined a pro-independence group either to obtain asylum in Canada or “out of curiosity”. Courier Chan Tai-sum, 27, and waiter Ng Chi-tung, 25, pleaded guilty in the District Court on Friday to conspiracy to commit secession for their involvement in the Taiwan-based Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union between November 2024 and July last year. Defence lawyers said the pair were both diagnosed with...