Pro-democracy leaders arrested
The former governor of Hong Kong has accused China of burying the ‘‘one country, two systems’’ agreement after the founding fathers of the region’s democracy movement were arrested.
Fourteen activists were held on Saturday in the single largest crackdown since 1.7 million people took to the streets last year demanding reform.
The arrests took place just hours after China’s top representative office declared it was not bound by Hong Kong’s constitutional restrictions preventing interference established when the city was handed over from Britain to China.
Campaigners say China is using the coronavirus crisis to reimpose strict control and undermine basic human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.
Lord Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, said: ‘‘With the world’s attention focused on the appalling Covid-19 epidemic, Beijing and its subservient government in Hong Kong have taken yet another step towards burying one country, two systems. The arrest of some of the most distinguished leaders over decades of the campaign for democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong is an unprecedented assault on the values which have underpinned Hong Kong’s way of life for years.’’
Those arrested included Jimmy Lai, 72, the media tycoon and founder of Apple Daily , an anti-establishment newspaper, and Martin Lee, the veteran democracy campaigner, known in Hong Kong as the ‘‘Father of Democracy’’. Also held were Margaret Ng, Albert Ho, Leung Kwokhung and Au Nok-hin, as well as current legislative council member Leung Yiu-chung.
The group are accused of organising, publicising and taking part in unlawful assemblies between August and October. They are due to appear in court in mid-May.
The semi-autonomous city was shaken by widespread and sometimes violent street protests last year, sparked by a nowabandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland.
Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy member of Hong Kong’s legislative council, condemned the arrests, warning that the authorities were ‘‘trying very hard to introduce a reign of terror’’.
She said: ‘‘They are doing whatever they can to try to silence, to take down the local opposition, but then united we stand.’’
Joshua Wong, one of the young leaders of last year’s protests, said: ‘‘It is crazy for Hong Kong police to arrest the 81-year old veteran democrat Martin Lee, the Father of Democracy. For almost 40 years, he has been promoting democracy and human rights in Hong Kong.’’
He added: ‘‘When all countries are now busy combating coronavirus, the authoritarian regime of China is clamping down on democracy movements in Hong Kong. I call upon the world to keep watch on Beijing’s tyranny.’’
The UK Parliament’s all-party group on Hong Kong called on Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, to act. A statement by Natalie Bennett, the Green Party peer, and Alistair Carmichael, a Lib Dem MP, said: ‘‘The arrest of a dozen prominent, peaceful democratic campaigners, are an iron fist being deployed by the Chinese Communist Party to attack the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong.’’ –