HONG KONG – In the 1960s, John Clancey was sent from a small town in New York State to Hong Kong to be a priest serving the poor in the city. He stayed and eventually turned himself into a lawyer for powerless people in the city.
More than half a century later, the lawyer faces years in prison for his role in the pro-democracy movement in his adopted home.
Mr. Clancey was one of dozens of activists arrested during the compilation of opposition figures last week – the largest since Beijing introduced a national security law on Hong Kong six months ago. Police are accusing those targeted of undermining after holding an unofficial primary election last year as part of a plan to win a legislative majority and derail government policies.
During an interview in his office in central Hong Kong, Mr. Clancey, 79, confirms he was arrested for serving as treasurer for a pro-democracy group that helped organize the by-elections. Now a lawyer, Mr. Clancey, is the first American to be detained under the new law, emphasizing the wide reach and willingness of the authorities to use it on locals and foreigners alike.
Police seized his U.S. passport after his arrest, Mr. Clancey said, though he believes he deserves no special treatment as a U.S. citizen. A U.S. Consulate spokesman declined to comment on the case, citing privacy laws. A Hong Kong government spokesman referred to previous statements that the city would protect national security and ‘would not tolerate any breach of undermining. ‘