Thread by @XinqiSu

#thread
What's happening in HK on Monday? Border fully reopened, and the largest by-far #NSL trial kicking off after 2 yrs of pre-trial proceeding - when 34 / 47 defendants were kept behind bars, 31 / 47 chose to plead guilty, and at least 3 turned into prosecution witnesses.

In this advancer w/ @JeromeTaylor we reviewed what this case is about, who are among those being charged, what are the key legal disputes, and how analysts observe / understand the trial.

sg.news.yahoo.com/hong-kongs-lar…

HK's former legal sector lawmaker @denniswhkwok told @AFP the trial is "a complete farce" : "Subversion...doesn't include people who simply run for office and pledge to use their public office to force the government to respond to the demands of the people they represent."

But senior counsel sitting in HK's cabinet Ronny Tong has a different understanding. "I would assume if your intent is to bring down the government, then that must be unlawful," Tong told @AFP adding he would keep an eye on what "criminal acts" the prosecution would point out.

Legal-political scholars see both stern warning from the authorities and space for the accused to voice out.

Ming-sung Kuo of the Warwick University told @AFP "this case will send quite a strong signal that any challenge to the authority ... will be taken seriously".

Both Kuo and @laiyanhoeric agreed that since the trial is still happening in an open court, what the prosecution and the defendants say will send ripples across the opposition-annulled society.

Lai @laiyanhoeric told @AFP said Hong Kongers will be paying close attention to "how the prosecution defines an ordinary civil society event as a criminal act".

The trial will be heard by 3 gov-picked judges and without a jury as the SJ ordered (AFP first reported last Aug).