Hong Kong Six Years Under National Security Law: Youth Jailed for Riot Conviction Lives Under Invisible Shackles After Release

(CNA, Reporter Chen Kai-yu, Taipei, March 30) Six years have passed since the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, and society has returned to normal. But for Kingsley, who was convicted of rioting for participating in the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement and served about two years in prison, his release does not mean everything is over. He said he still feels like he is living under "invisible shackles," and some details of daily life still remind him of his time in jail. He once felt forgotten by society along with others imprisoned for cases related to 2019, but now he wants to live more actively and make up for lost time.

Kingsley (pseudonym), now 30 years old, was arrested in 2019. Due to the outbreak of the pandemic and the increasing number of people arrested in connection with the anti-extradition bill movement, his case had to wait about four years for a formal trial.

In an interview with CNA, Kingsley said that the period awaiting trial was emotionally and mentally agonizing. Although he had prepared for the worst, tears still flowed when the court declared him guilty of rioting and sentenced him to about two years in prison. He said, "At that moment, I had to leave the people I knew and go to a completely unfamiliar place, not knowing what I would encounter. It was fear and uncertainty." But at the same time, he felt a sense of relief that the matter was finally settled.

After enduring the hardship of imprisonment, Kingsley was met by his family outside the prison gates on the day of his release. "I told myself I should be happy, but I couldn't be. It was like a North Korean who finally arrived in South Korea and stood in the center of Myeongdong, looking around, not knowing what to do." When too many emotions suddenly surged, people tend to become numb.

Kingsley said it took him about a month to "learn" to be a normal Hong Konger again, such as rearranging his life, proactively inviting friends to eat, paying attention to popular trends, and even reminding himself to walk faster. "I once doubted where the real society was."

Kingsley has a university degree. Four to five months after his release, he started looking for a job, not wanting to rely on his family for support.

Kingsley said that when applying for jobs, some companies required him to fill out a criminal record. One company had agreed on a salary with him and asked him when he could start working. He thought he would get the job, but the company never contacted him again. He believes it was because of his past.

However, Kingsley said that compared to many others imprisoned for cases related to 2019, he is considered lucky. He applied for three full-time jobs, and one company in the education sector hired him despite knowing his background.

Kingsley now works diligently every day like most Hong Kongers, but the bitterness in his heart still lingers. Even now, many things in his life pull him back to his days in prison.

Kingsley said that while eating, besides enjoying the food, he once saw a spoon on the table and remembered that in prison, they were given a spoon, and after eating, they had to take it with them to clean it for the next meal.

When he sees a certain book in a bookstore, he remembers reading it in prison. When he sees a homeless person on the street, he remembers that he was once in jail, saying that many homeless people have been to jail. When he sees news about prisoners from the 2019 cases, he recalls his days in jail.

Kingsley said his best friends did not look down on him, but he imposed an "invisible shackle" on himself. "I feel I am different from them." This shackle "may never disappear in my lifetime."

Hong Kong implemented the National Security Law on June 30, 2020. By the time Kingsley was released, the National Security Law had been in effect for some time. He said he felt that Hong Kong had changed, and Hong Kongers had also changed. Everyone is focusing on themselves and their families. "There are not many things we can decide as we please. Many things seem to have been arranged for us, telling us not to think about what can be changed, as it has already been arranged for us. We can only decide our own matters, so let's change ourselves first."

Kingsley frankly admitted that he once felt that he and others imprisoned for cases related to 2019 were forgotten by society. Even a good friend told him that his actions back then were "impulsive." But since he started reading more, this painful feeling has lessened considerably. "If you think like this every day, life is really painful."

Although Kingsley's case did not involve the National Security Law, he had prepared for the worst after his arrest, imagining he might be sentenced to 10 or 20 years in prison. In the past few years, some people in Hong Kong have been sentenced to 10 years for violating the National Security Law. Kingsley said that as someone who has been through it, he cannot imagine what 10 years in prison would be like, because the lifestyle of long-term imprisonment is different, and prisoners may be moved between cells, requiring re-adaptation each time. Moreover, the longer the time spent in prison, the more numb people may become and the more detached from reality.

The two years of imprisonment changed Kingsley's life trajectory. For him, there is now only one thing more terrifying than being in jail: "death." Now he just wants to make up for lost time. "The goal is not to earn more money to enjoy a better life, but how to be a better person."

Kingsley said he may not have specific long-term plans, but he will definitely make good use of his time and live more actively and diligently than before. He finds himself braver in pursuing knowledge than before.

"I don't want my family to worry about me anymore, and I don't want to do things that worry myself anymore," Kingsley said.

Data shows that from the start of the 2019 anti-extradition bill movement until March 31, 2026, Hong Kong police arrested a total of 10,286 people for offenses including rioting, unlawful assembly, and assault. Among those arrested, 2,978 have completed or are undergoing judicial proceedings, and 2,431 have borne legal consequences, including imprisonment, community service orders, and fines. (Editor: Lu Jia-jung) 1150630

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