Healthcare workers charged with subversion in Hong Kong under draconian new security law

A prominent labour unionist for the health sector in Hong Kong is among 47 people charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the recently enacted National Security Law.

Winnie Yu Wai-ming, a nurse, is the founder and chairwoman of the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance. The labour union, founded in late 2019, represents around 9000 of the 67 000 staff employed by the Hospital Authority, the statutory body that manages all of Hong Kong’s government hospitals. Yu, along with 46 others, was charged on 28 February. She was denied bail and will be held in custody until the next hearing of the case on 31 May. A doctor, Kwok Ka-ki, who is a former member of the Legislative Council, was also one of the 47 charged with subversion. He and 14 others were granted bail, but this was immediately appealed, and he …