ALARM OVER CARDINAL’S ARREST
International outrage over arrest of democracy advocates for ‘colluding with foreign forces’
THE arrest of a 90-yearold Catholic cardinal under Hong Kong’s national security law has triggered international outrage and deepened concerns over China’s crackdown on rights in the financial hub.
Retired cardinal Joseph Zen, one of the most senior Catholic clerics in Asia, was among a group of veteran democracy advocates arrested on Wednesday for “colluding with foreign forces”.
Cantonese pop singer Denise Ho, veteran barrister Margaret Ng and prominent cultural studies scholar Hui Po-keung were also arrested, the latter as he attempted to fly to Europe to take up an academic post.
The four were detained for their involvement in a now-disbanded defence fund that helped pay legal and medical costs for those arrested during the huge and sometimes violent wave of democracy protests three years ago.
China responded with a broad campaign to crush the movement and transform the once-outspoken city into something more closely resembling the authoritarian mainland.
Zen and his colleagues, who were released on bail late on Wednesday, join more than 180
Hong Kongers arrested to date under the national security law Beijing imposed to stop the protests.
Those charged are typically denied bail and can face up to life in prison if convicted.
Criticism came from Western nations who have accused China of eviscerating the freedoms it once promised Hong Kong could maintain.
The United States, which has previously sanctioned key Chinese officials over the ongoing crackdown, called on Beijing to “cease targeting Hong Kong’s advocates”.
Canada said consular officials were trying to access Ho, who is a Canadian national.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly called the arrests “deeply troubling”.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he was following the arrests with “great concern”, while Human Rights Watch called it a “shocking new low for Hong Kong”.
“Even by Hong Kong’s recent standards of worsening repression, these arrests represent a shocking escalation,” Amnesty International said.
The Vatican said it was concerned by Zen’s arrest and “following the development of the situation very closely”.
Cardinal Zen fled Shanghai for Hong Kong after the communists took power in China in 1949 and rose to become bishop of the city.
Those arrested on Wednesday were suspected of endangering national security because they allegedly asked foreign nations or overseas organisations to impose sanctions on Hong Kong, police said.