Hong Kong Photographer Convicted of Insulting China's National Anthem

A Hong Kong photographer has been convicted of insulting the national anthem of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and faces up to three years in prison.

The 27-year-old Cheng Wing-chun (鄭榮進) appeared before Magistrate Minnie Wat Lai Man at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday (July 5). He was found guilty of insulting the PRC national anthem "March of the Volunteers" after he replaced it with the protest song "Glory to Hong Kong" in a video he uploaded online.

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He is the first person to be convicted under the National Anthem Ordinance. Enacted in June 2020, the law makes “insulting” or “misusing” the PRC national anthem punishable by a fine of up to HK$50,000 (US$6,400) and a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment.

Cheng was prosecuted after he allegedly created and uploaded a video of Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021, with the protest song "Glory to Hong Kong" playing instead of the PRC anthem. Cheng was charged with "insulting the national anthem" and "desecrating the national flag".

"The defendant replaced the national anthem played during the solemn ceremony with ‘Glory’ and edited the footage in a way that made it seem people applauded after it was played," Magistrate Minnie Wat Lai Man said, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

"This behaviour clearly undermines the dignity of the national anthem as a symbol and sign of the People’s Republic of China," she added.

The song "Glory to Hong Kong" became popular during the 2019 protests as the unofficial anthem of the pro-democracy movement.

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