Photo: from Singtao Daily.

 

A Hong Kong man was sentenced to jail for four months on Friday after importing seditious children's picture books which portrayed the city's residents as sheep defending their village from evil wolves, which were supposed to represent the central government.

The books targeted children as young as four and propagated "twisted values and false messages" to young generation by depicting the central government as an "evil and barbaric invader," Chief Magistrate Victor So said in his ruling at the West Kowloon Law Courts on Friday.

So said the books intended to spread hatred, contempt to immature children against the central government. "If seditious thoughts were to take root in the younger generation, those thoughts may grow and the effect may spread across generations." 

The accused 38-year-old office worker Kurt Leung pleaded guilty to the charge of "importing seditious publications" at the court. On March 7, Leung imported a total of 18 seditious picture books from the UK through mail with another man John Choi. 

All themed with a sheep village, the 18 picture books were divided into three sets of six -- sheep village defenders, worriers, sweepers, builders, as well as the village daily and the voting day.

So emphasized that the accused knew these books were seditious, but still chose to import them from the UK, noting the behavior also encourages overseas individuals to continue producing such materials to spread information harmful to China's national security. 

Leung's defence lawyer said in court that Leung actively participated in activities on "National Security Day" to understand national security after getting arrested, hoping that the court would consider giving Leung a lenient sentence.

The imported materials are seditious in nature. The materials further defame and demonize the central government and the HKSAR Government and spread hatred messages within the community, Chu Kar-kin, a veteran current affairs commentator based in Hong Kong and a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Friday.

Chu said unauthorized import of such materials is illegal and constitute an offense of session and subversion. "The target audience of these seditious materials includes children and would implant corrosive and untrue values to immature groups. A deterrent punishment is expected. Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department is performing good duties to avoid the import of seditious materials into the territory," Chu said.