A mass of 53 pan-democracy politicians and activists arrested
Last July Legislative Assembly Candidate Contest
Allegedly violating the Hong Kong Security Law (overturning the system)
“Attempt to seize legislative assembly and paralyze the Hong Kong government”
Benny Tai, a former professor of law at the University of Hong Kong (center), who is known as a strategist for civil society in Hong Kong, is being arrested on charges of violating the Hong Kong Security Law on the 6th and being escorted by vehicle. Hong Kong/AP Yonhap News
Hong Kong police have arrested about 50 people, including pan-democratic politicians and civil society activists, for violating the Hong Kong version of the National Security Act (Hong Kong Security Act). It is the largest since the Hong Kong Security Act entered into force on June 30 last year. In summary, the Hong Kong police arrested 13 former legislators, including former Democratic Party President Uchiwai and Public Democratic Party President Alvin Yong, and 21 incumbent lawmakers including Sam Cheong and Andy Chui on the morning of that day. They are under suspicion of leading a pan-democratic legislator candidate contest held by the Hong Kong civil society in July last year. 13 legislative candidates who participated in the contest at the time, including Owen Chow and Gwyneth, were also arrested on the same charges. Police also arrested former Hong Kong University professor Beni Tai, a Hong Kong civil society strategist who advocated the so-called ’35+ movement’, saying that pan-democracy needs to unify candidates through the primary election in order to occupy more than half of the legislature (70 seats) . Poll expert Robert Chung, who was in charge of the primary election at the time, and John Clancy, an American attorney who was in charge of accounting for’Democratic Power’, an electoral organization for the civil society and pandemocracy camps in Hong Kong, were also arrested. The police held a press conference this afternoon and said, “We mobilized 1,000 people to search 72 locations, and arrested 53 people, including 45 men and 8 women aged 23 to 64.” Prior to the legislative election scheduled for September, Hong Kong civil society held its own contest on July 11-12 to unify the pan-democracy camp. The pan-democracy camp expected that if the candidates were unified through the primary, they could win a majority seat in the legislative assembly elections and increase their ability to check the government. On the other hand, the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities criticized the contest as “an attempt to manipulate the election and a challenge to the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Security Law,” and “to paralyze the government by taking control of the legislature.” “A candidate who made a pledge such as rejecting the government budget after winning a majority seat at the legislative committee or paralyzing the government’s business to accommodate the demands of the protesters is likely to violate the Hong Kong Security Law.” He warned. At that time, more than 66,000 people (13.62%) of Hong Kong registered voters participated in the contest, and the Hong Kong authorities delayed the legislative election for one year on the grounds of COVID-19 quarantine after about a month or so. Political critic Cheong Kimwa (RTHK) told (RTHK), “An indiscriminate arrest is sending a signal to citizens that the government can do anything with a pod,” he said. “No one can be safe in this way.” Correspondent from Beijing/Inhwan Jung [email protected]