Last week, Hong Kong witnessed a trial of unprecedented number of suspects charged with the same ridiculous offence. Deliberately or incidentally, the Correctional Services Department mimicked the court’s absurdity and staged an inhumane farce.

Detained for 3 days for the so-called statement taking process, the 47 suspects were not allowed to shower or get changed. Meals were not served in a timely manner. A few of them were overwhelmed by hunger and exhaustion, and had to be hospitalized. Margaret Ng commented on such totally unnecessary torture definitively in her Apple Daily column: barristers and solicitors familiar with court proceedings were totally at a loss. What kind of legal system is this?

Ronny Tong, a Senior Counsel and a former member of the Civic Party, is not shy of surmising the worst of human nature with his despicable mind. He said it cannot be ruled out that these suspects were fishing for public sympathy with their shabby and frail looks so that the judge will grant them release on bail.

Ronny Tong raised doubts about whether judges can exercise independent judgement under social pressure. Ironically such doubts confirm that Hong Kong courts are no longer independent courts as we used to know them. Indeed, when criticized by state-run media, judges will worry about their prospects; when state media issue the “order to kill” and name the thorn in its flesh yet to be tried, the designated national security judges will be influenced and will confide to themselves: “Yes, got it!” This is rule of law in the eyes of Ronny Tong. What has become of Hong Kong courts?

“Fishing for public sympathy” is really humiliating and turns people off. It is worse than Carrie Lam’s remarks that she fully respects the central government for taking the lead in improving Hong Kong’s electoral system. Certainly there are many people who will fish for sympathy. They exaggerate their sufferings and exploit their little misfortunes for personal gains. However the 47 suspects are totally helpless against the torture inflicted on them. It takes an anti-social personality to contemplate that possibility.

Who will sympathize with people who break the law for running for election? The culprits will rejoice over proving their value of existence. They will pocket the gains reaped from the 47 suspects. Ronnie Tong will be glad that he gave up his principles and adopted a new stance in time. He must feel fortunate that he did not insist on the rule of law which he spent years learning and practising.

What is sympathy? We express sympathy only for the unfortunate. For innocent people suffering from panic disorder, they will be mad at those who say, “I sympathize with you.” They will say, “Your sympathy derogates me. All I want is your empathy”. The 47 suspects guilty of running for election do not need our sympathy. They need us to feel the injustice and pledge solidarity against the common enemy. No doubt they are a pathetic sight but it only reflects the shamelessness of the regime.

It is said that the lifelong motto of Ng Man-tat (a Hong Kong actor who passed away recently) was “the most important thing in life is be happy.” Of course we will not be happy with unfair treatment, but we can be totally at ease and have no regrets. By contrast, Ronny Tong has become a total stranger to himself. In face of the “malicious rumor” levelled at him which has been lingering for years, he didn’t dare to clarify. He is the one who needs our sympathy but unfortunately he does not deserve it.

(Albert Leung is an award-winning lyricist and writer.)

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