Hong Kong: 53 democracy activists arrested in crackdown by Chinese authorities

The authorities claimed those arrested were trying to cause ‘serious damage’ to society

Hong Kong’s authorities have arrested 53 activists, including many prominent pro-democracy supporters, and accused them of planning to “overthrow” the government.

The group were arrested under a recently introduced and controversial security law.

Secretary for security John Lee said they planned to cause “serious damage” to society and that people involved are suspected of making a plan to “somehow paralyse the Hong Kong government”.

“The operation today targets the active elements who are suspected to be involved in the crime of overthrowing, or interfering … to destroy the Hong Kong government’s legal execution of duties,” he told reporters, adding that the authorities would not tolerate any “subversive acts".

The arrests were made in early morning raids on Wednesday at 72 premises. Some 1,000 police personnel were involved. Local media reports noted that the targets of the raids included the offices of a pollster, a law firm, and media outlets Apple Daily, Stand News and Inmediahk.

The arrests are the latest in a series of actions that China has taken in Hong Kong in the last year, including the imposition of a strict new national security law in June 2020. It has jailed several pro-democracy activists since December.  

Under the new security law, acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces can result in a life sentence.  

Those arrested also included US lawyer John Clancey, who was detained during a raid at the law firm Ho Tse Wai and Partners. The police have not revealed the identities of any of those arrested, with details only emerging through social media accounts connected to those involved, or their organisations  

The arrests, including 45 men and eight women, have been criticised by US leaders and human rights activists.  

“The sweeping arrests of pro-democracy demonstrators are an assault on those bravely advocating for universal rights. The Biden-Harris administration will stand with the people of Hong Kong and against Beijing’s crackdown on democracy,” tweeted Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken.  

International rights lawyer and activist Hillel Neuer called it the “largest roundup yet under the new national security law imposed by China to quash dissent".  

“The UN Human Rights Council will do nothing. Worse: China just became a member,” Mr Neuer tweeted.

Beijing’s top representative office in Hong Kong said in a statement that it supports the arrests, even as members of the democratic camp held a news conference to demand the release of those it termed “political prisoners”.

Taiwan’s foreign affairs ministry, a self-governing region claimed by China, condemned the arrest.

“The mass arrest in #HongKong comes as a deep shock to those who treasure freedom. In #Taiwan, we strongly condemn the act and will continue speaking out for the rights of the democracy advocates. The free world must unite against authoritarianism: No more room for ambiguity!” it tweeted.  

Activists also demanded the EU halt a recently signed investment deal with China.  

“In response to Hong Kong’s political crackdown, I urge the European parliament to halt the EU-China investment deal and EU to sanction China and HK officials who are responsible [for] the arrests. #Retweet if you agree MEP should VETO the bill and EU should act,” tweeted Nathan Law, a pro-democracy Hong Kong activist currently in self-imposed exile in London.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was returned to China in 1997 on a promise that the city’s autonomy, and the greater civil rights enjoyed by its citizens compared to the Chinese mainland, would be maintained. Last month a court in China sentenced 10 people from Hong Kong to up to three years in jail for trying to illegally flee to Taiwan.  

In December, three prominent activists, Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam, all former members of the now-disbanded political party Demosisto,  were handed months-long prison sentences for their involvement in pro-democracy protests.