HONG KONG (AP) – The sudden arrest of dozens of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, with the most widespread use of a new national security law to date, is a clear sign of Beijing’s determination to lead political opposition in the former British restrained colony.
Wednesday morning’s rally, widely condemned by Western government officials and human rights groups, is likely to further cool an already dwindling protest movement in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Police have detained about 50 people, far more than in previous cases under the six-month-old national security law. The targets were apparently all candidates who ran in an unofficial opposition election last year ahead of an expected election for the Hong Kong legislature. City leader Carrie Lam later scrapped the election citing the coronavirus pandemic. Activists call her move a thinly veiled attempt to thwart expected opposition gains.
HOW CAN A PRIMARY BE A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY?
Security Secretary John Lee said the detainees were suspected of trying to gain control of the legislature to paralyze government affairs. The subversion section of the National Security Act criminalizes ‘serious interference in, disruption or undermining of the performance of duties and functions’ of the Chinese or Hong Kong governments.
Lamb said at the time of the by-election that if the goal is to resist any government initiative, it could amount to subversive state power. The central government called the primary illegal and a ‘serious provocation’ in Hong Kong’s electoral system.
WHAT IS THE PROBABLE IMPACT?
The arrests will remove more activists from the scene, reducing the possibility of renewed protests and eliminating many as future candidates for office. They warn a younger generation who formed the backbone of protest marches in 2014 and 2019 that even an unofficial pre-election could lead to legal action that could seriously affect their future.
Human Rights Watch said repression was creating resistance, but the tightening of restrictions on opposition activities and the long-term effects of the coronavirus on public life and the economy could slow or permanently discourage the emergence of a new generation.
WHY NOW?
Beijing has been relentless in its efforts to prevent the recurrence of the 2019 protests, which have become increasingly violent in response to the government’s refusal to entertain the protesters’ demands. They have plunged Hong Kong into its biggest political crisis since its return to the Chinese government in 1997.
China is also determined to oust what he says is an unjustified interference by foreign governments in its domestic affairs. The country’s newfound military, economic and political influence encourages it to tackle the West, and it could take advantage of diversion due to pandemics and political disruptions in the US and Europe.
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This story has been corrected to indicate that the age of the security law is six months, not seven months.