On September 25th, the Mid-Autumn Festival, former Yuen Long District Councilor Ng Kin-wai, who was sentenced to 5 years and 7 months in prison in the Hong Kong pan-democratic primary election case, was released from prison upon completing his sentence. He is the 22nd person out of the 45 convicted individuals in the case to regain freedom, with 23 still incarcerated.
According to reports from Hong Kong media, Ng Kin-wai, a 31-year-old, was released from Pik Uk Prison early in the morning on September 25th. He revealed that during his approximately 5-year imprisonment, he was often kept in solitary confinement and could only grasp an understanding of the outside world through reading newspapers, listening to the radio, and information provided by former colleagues.
Ng Kin-wai admitted that despite feeling sorrow, confusion, and anger at times, he never regretted his choices from years ago. He still feels fortunate to have been able to sacrifice for his beloved place and the people of Hong Kong.
As a former Yuen Long Kam Tin North District Councilor, Ng Kin-wai openly expressed that while the objective environment in Hong Kong has indeed changed, he has no intentions of leaving the city. He is determined to stay and continue his efforts for the progress of Hong Kong, hoping to ultimately achieve a Hong Kong that is free, just, and where everyone can be free from fear.
Reflecting on being released on the Mid-Autumn Festival and reuniting with family and loved ones, Ng Kin-wai jokingly mentioned that he didn’t specifically count the days because doing so in prison is quite arduous. He was pleasantly surprised to be released on the Mid-Autumn Festival, but the thought of many others, including former colleagues, still being imprisoned and unable to reunite with their families weighed heavily on his heart.
Out of the 47 individuals prosecuted in the Hong Kong pan-democratic primary election case, 45 have been convicted of “conspiring to subvert state power.” Currently, 22 individuals including Lester Shum, Ventus Lau, Joshua Wong, and Eddie Chu have completed their sentences and been released; while 23 individuals including Agnes Chow and Nathan Law remain incarcerated.