5 Arrested in Hong Kong for Allegedly Aiding Activists Abroad
Between Wednesday and Thursday, Hong Kong police arrested five men for alleged conspiracy to sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces by financially supporting activists abroad.
Facts
- Between Wednesday and Thursday, Hong Kong police arrested five men for alleged conspiracy to sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces by financially supporting activists abroad.1
- They face accusations of publishing posts with seditious intent online and operating companies, social media platforms, and mobile apps to secure funds to assist people who have fled Hong Kong, allegedly endangering national security.2
- All five are reportedly former members of the defunct Demosisto party, including former leader Ivan Lam, who allegedly collected funds on behalf of former party chairman and UK-based wanted activist Nathan Law.3
- According to a police statement, they have been detained for questioning while the investigation remains ongoing and further arrests haven't been ruled out.4
- This comes as, on Monday, Hong Kong police accused eight overseas activists, including Nathan Law, of violating the National Security Law and offered unprecedented rewards of $HK1M ($127.6K) for information leading to their arrests.5
- The Beijing-imposed National Security Law came into effect in June 2020 in the Special Administrative Region of China, with police reportedly having since arrested 260 people for violating it.6
Sources: 1CNN, 2VOA, 3South China Morning Post, 4Hong Kong Free Press HKFP, 5Associated Press, and 6BBC News.
Narratives
- Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. Law enforcement authorities in Hong Kong are taking the necessary measures within the law to dissuade infamous anti-China disruptors from engaging in activities endangering national security both at home and overseas. Fugitives have been put on the wanted list to defend national sovereignty, and their financial backers have been identified and detained.
- Anti-China narrative, as provided by The Economist. Once a stable jurisdiction that respected the rule of law, Hong Kong has become an authoritarian state that operates with few legal restraints when it comes to crushing dissent at home and abroad. The likely ineffective cash bounty scheme on self-exiled dissidents and these subsequent arrests are just the latest signs of the deterioration of freedoms in the territory since the National Security Law came into force.
