Hindustan Times (Ranchi)

UN ‘alarmed’ at arrests in Hong Kong under new law

- ■ letters@hindustant­imes.com

HONG KONG/ GENEVA: The UN human rights office voiced concern on Friday that “vague and overly broad” provisions in Hong Kong’s new national security law may lead to activists being prosecuted in violation of fundamenta­l freedoms of assembly and expression.

The security legislatio­n imposed by China this week on Hong Kong will punish crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison, heralding a more authoritar­ian era for the city. “We are alarmed that arrests are already being made under the law with immediate effect, when there is not full informatio­n and understand­ing of the scope of the offences,” UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said.

Hundreds were arrested at a protest on Wednesday, the first day since the new law came into effect, and at least 10 have been charged under it, he told a Geneva news briefing.

In a post late on Thursday, prominent Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law said that he has decided to advocate for Hong Kong from abroad and had left the city.

“As a global-facing activist, the choices I have are stark: to stay silent from now on, or to keep engaging in private diplomacy so I can warn the world of the threat of Chinese authoritar­ian expansion,” he said. “I made the decision when I agreed to testify before the US Congress.” Law told reporters in a WhatsApp message that he would not reveal his whereabout­s and situation based on a “risk assessment”.

In what is sure to be seen as another ominous sign for Hong Kong’s freedoms, China’s official Xinhua news agency said Zheng Yanxiong, a Communist Party cadre who became prominent during a 2011 clampdown on protesters in a south China village, will head a national security office in Hong Kong to be set up under the new law.

Under the new legislatio­n, the agency can take enforcemen­t action beyond existing local laws in the most serious cases.

 ?? REUTERS ?? ■
The southern Africa country of Botswana is struggling to investigat­e the reasons for the mysterious deaths of over 350 elephants in the Okavango Delta nature reserve. The sudden mass deaths, which scientists have called a conservati­on disaster, were first spotted during an aerial survey in early May. Some scientists pointed out that the tuskers may have died from poisoning of the water holes, while others argue if the water was indeed poisoned, it would have killed other animals as well.
REUTERS ■ The southern Africa country of Botswana is struggling to investigat­e the reasons for the mysterious deaths of over 350 elephants in the Okavango Delta nature reserve. The sudden mass deaths, which scientists have called a conservati­on disaster, were first spotted during an aerial survey in early May. Some scientists pointed out that the tuskers may have died from poisoning of the water holes, while others argue if the water was indeed poisoned, it would have killed other animals as well.

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