MEPs call on EU to provide ‘lifeboat policy’ for persecuted Hong Kong dissidents
Demand follows arrest of prominent pro-democracy advocates by China.
PA images
08 Jan 2021
Senior figures in the EU have rounded on China over Beijing s latest crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong.
The strong rebuke comes after Hong Kong police arrested 53 people in dawn raids on democracy activists on Wednesday, in the biggest crackdown since China last year imposed a security law which opponents say is aimed at quashing dissent in the former British colony.
Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy advocates were arrested in raids on 72 premises as the authorities said last year’s unofficial vote to choose opposition candidates in city elections was part of a plan to “overthrow” the government.
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A spokesperson of the Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU) on Friday condemned an EU statement on the recent arrests in Hong Kong as misleading the public.
Hong Kong grants bail to 52 arrested pro-democracy activists Zen Soo Bookmark Please log in to listen to this story. Also available in French and Mandarin. Log In Create Free Account
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ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP/Getty Images
Authorities in Hong Kong said Friday they have granted bail to most of the 55 pro-democracy activists who were arrested this week in a sweeping crackdown on dissent. One of the activists said they could still be charged under a tough national security law.
The activists were accused of taking part in an unofficial primary election last year that authorities said was part of a plan to paralyze the Legislative Council and subvert state power. The primary was held to choose the best candidates to field as the pro-democracy camp sought to win a majority of seats.
Strength of Cases Against Arrested Hong Kong Democrats Uncertain
Posted by John Chan | Jan 7, 2021
On the eve of the enactment of the Hong Kong National Security Law, Chief Executive Carrie Lam addressed the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council: “[The law] will only target an extremely small minority of people.” Just over six months later, 93 people have been arrested under the new legislation, corresponding to an average of one arrest every two days.
The majority of those arrests came on January 6, when every candidate who ran in the 2020 pan-democratic camp primary election and five organizers were arrested for “subversion.” National security police accused the candidates of plotting to win a majority in order to paralyze the legislature, and ultimately force the Chief Executive to resign, a plan that is laid out and permitted in Hong Kong’s mini-constitution.