The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC), once a beacon of conscience, saw its former leaders—Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho, and Chow Hang-tung—charged with "inciting subversion of state power" and detained for more than three years.

For anyone who has never been imprisoned, it's almost impossible to grasp what losing three years of freedom truly means. Even though Hong Kong's judicial system may still be somewhat better than that of mainland China, the weight of confinement remains crushing.

I myself was once briefly detained—and yet the experience was filled with pressure, fear, and subtle forms of abuse and punishment.

That these three have endured more than three years and still hold firm in their resistance is nothing short of heroic. Their courage deserves both admiration and remembrance.