Hong Kong Police Arrest Four Men Accused of Supporting Overseas Activists
Image caption: Political activist Ivan Lam pictured with police in Hong Kong late on Wednesday
Hong Kong police have arrested four men who are allegedly supporting individuals based overseas that “endanger national security.” These local arrests come just two days after Hong Kong offered bounties for eight pro-democracy activists living abroad. The bounties have triggered an international outcry and come in the wake of Beijing’s implementation of a far-reaching national security law.
Among the four arrested individuals is Ivan Lam, the former chair of the disbanded political party Demosisto, according to local media reports. Demosisto was co-founded by activist Nathan Law, who currently resides in the UK and is one of the targets of the recent bounty scheme. The subjects of the HK$1 million (£100,581; $127,637) bounty are based in countries such as the UK, the US, and Australia, all of which lack an extradition treaty with China.
Hong Kong, as a special administrative region of China, operates under Beijing’s “one country, two systems” policy, which grants residents in Hong Kong greater freedoms compared to those living in mainland China. However, pro-democracy protests in 2019 paved the way for the enforcement of the national security law in June 2020. Since then, police have arrested 260 individuals for violating the law.
The four men apprehended on Wednesday night face charges of “conspiracy to collude with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security” and “conspiracy to commit acts with seditious intent.” If found guilty, they could face life imprisonment under the national security law.
Additionally, on the same day, police seized banners and flags of the online shopping app Mee. Mee serves as a guide for Hong Kong residents, providing information on pro-democracy supporting restaurants, shops, and service providers.
International attention remains focused on Hong Kong as authorities continue to crack down on dissent and tighten control over the region’s pro-democracy movement.