A Hong Kong student was indicted on Thursday for posting “seditious” comments online while staying in Japan, a case that brought attention to the enforcement of the national security law for comments made overseas.
The student, identified as 23-year-old Yuen Ching-ting, was arrested in March upon her arrival from Japan to renew her identity card. Yuen was charged with “seditious intent” under colonial-era legislation.
Hong Kong police said that Yuen was arrested because her social media posts contained phrases calling for “Hong Kong independence” and the “downfall of the Communist Party,” Nikkei Asia reported.
Yuen’s legal team brought up the legal issues of jurisdiction and extraterritoriality, as the posts in question were made while Yuen was in Japan. The prosecutor said the posts incited “hatred or contempt” towards the government and were accessible in Hong Kong….