Hong Kong
CNN
—
A woman who waved a British colonial-era flag to celebrate Hong Kong claiming Olympic gold has become the first person in the city to be jailed on a charge of insulting the Chinese national anthem.
Paula Leung, a 42-year-old online journalist, admitted the charge and was given a three-month jail sentence on Thursday, Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK reported.
Leung, who said in mitigation that she had autism and learning difficulties, had waved the flag in a shopping mall where a big screen was showing the medal ceremony following Edgar Cheung’s victory in the foil at the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021.
Large crowds had gathered to celebrate what was Hong Kong’s second ever Olympic gold medal and its first in fencing, but the scene turned rowdy when the Chinese national anthem was played for the award ceremony and some people began booing.
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