Hong Kong democracy activists arrested under security law as crackdown intensifies

Reuters | Hong Kong

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Hong Kong police arrested dozens of leading democratic activists on Wednesday on suspicion of violating the city’s controversial security law in the biggest crackdown yet against the opposition camp since Beijing imposed the law in 2020.

The dawn swoop of the most prominent pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong was tied to an unofficial, independently organised vote in July 2020 to select opposition candidates for a since-postponed legislative election.

As part of the operation, police also searched the offices of a pollster and a law firm and went to the offices of media outlets Apple Daily, Stand News, and Inmediahk, according to local media.

The mass arrests, confirmed by the Democratic Party and individual social media accounts of dozens of other activists and politicians arrested, will further raise the alarm that Hong Kong has taken a swift authoritarian turn.

The crackdown since the June 2020 imposition of the new security law, which critics say crushes wide-ranging freedoms, places China further on a collision course with the United States just as Joe Biden prepares to take over the presidency.

“The Biden-Harris administration will stand with the people of Hong Kong and against Beijing’s crackdown on democracy.”

The arrests, which local media said amounted to more than 50 former lawmakers, activists and people involved in organising the 2020 primary, included James To, Lam Cheuk-ting, Benny Tai and Lester Shum.

At the time, the local government and Beijing warned the unprecedented unofficial vote may violate the new law, saying a campaign to win a majority in Hong Kong’s 70-seat legislature with the purpose of blocking government proposals to increase pressure for democratic reforms could be seen as subversive.