Jimmy Lai, the jailed Hong Kong media tycoon, was among eight democracy activists who were handed new prison sentences on May 28 for attending protests on the 70th anniversary of the founding of communist China that was followed by a sweeping crackdown.

Lai is already behind bars for taking part in earlier protests and now he will have to serve a total of 20 months.

He pleaded guilty to organising and participating in an unlawful assembly on October 1,  2019.

Among the seven others who were given new jail sentences include 25-year-old youth campaigner Figo Chan, former lawmakers Lee Cheuk-yan and Leung Kwok-hung.

It may be mentioned here that the new sentences are the latest in a relentless and successful campaign by China to smother dissent and dismantle Hong Kong’s democracy movement.

Hong Kong was convulsed by months of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests in 2019 in the most serious challenge to Beijing’s rule since the city’s 1997 handover.

The clashes with police on China’s National Day were some of the worst of that period.