Mass Prosecutions Send Chills Across Hong Kong’s Political Spectrum A quick look at the diverse factions involved in the 2020 primary elections belies Beijing’s claim that there was a unified conspiracy toward subversion. By April 17, 2021 Former law professor Benny Tai, right, poses for photographers before walking in a police station in Hong Kong Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. Credit: AP Photo Advertisement If you believe the Chinese government, Benny Tai is a mastermind and the principal offender, guilty of conspiring to subvert Chinese state power. He had a rebellious history dating back to the 2013 Occupy Central protests. This time, Tai outlined a highly subversive plan in a manifesto titled “Ten Steps to Mutual Destruction.” The manifesto called for pro-democracy councilors in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) to blackmail the city government, threatening China’s unquestionable authority in Hong Kong. His first step in executing this evil plot was orchestrating pro-democratic primary elections in July 2020 with his accomplice, the activist group “Power for Democracy.” All candidates participating in the primary elections were members of this subversive gang. All polling centers and media groups that supported the primaries were witnesses of the crime, who could be arrested later. The 600,000 voters in the primaries? They could be investigated as accessories to the crime if there was evidence of subversive actions.