Four Hong Kong student activists arrested for ‘secession’ over social media posts

At a press conference on Wednesday night, police spokesman Lee Kwai-wah said the organization had “published about the establishment of a new party that advocates for Hong Kong independence on social media.”

“We have to enforce the laws even if crimes are committed on the Internet. Don’t think you can escape responsibility in cyberspace and commit crimes,” added Lee.

Police said the four were under investigation under articles 20 and 21 of the security law, which deal with secession. Secessionist crimes of “serious nature” can carry penalties of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, while minor offenses carry penalties of between three and 10 years.

On Sunday, the group released a post titled “Countering Chinese Nationalism, Building Hong Kong Nationalism,” which linked to the Facebook page and recruitment forms for the “Hong Kong Division for Student Localism.” The group’s US page says it is “committed to advancing the path of Hong Kong citizens to regain our right of self-determination, and to advancing Hong Kong’s path to independence.”

Shortly after the arrests, a CNN reporter had a source cancel an interview, unrelated to the security law, “in light of the latest development in Hong Kong.”

In a statement, Sophie Richardson, director of Human Rights Watch in China, said the arrests were “a misuse of this draconian law (which makes it clear) that the goal is to silence dissent, not protect national security.”

He added that “they raise chilling concerns about a broader crackdown on political parties” as the September legislative elections approach.

However, the possibility of those elections going as planned has been questioned this week, amid reports that the government may exercise emergency powers to delay them until 2021, due to a recent surge in coronavirus cases. in Hong Kong.

The nomination period for the elections ends on Friday, and the polls will open on September 6.

The city has recorded more than 100 new coronavirus infections every day in the past week, up from zero cases in late June. Wednesday marked the first day of the strictest social distancing measures Hong Kong has seen so far: mandatory masks in indoor and outdoor public spaces, no more than two people per group when meeting in public, and no food in the restaurant.

Ronny Tong, a member of the Hong Kong Executive Council or de facto cabinet, told CNN that he does not know how long it can take, but that any decision to delay the election is due to public security concerns.

“I hope that people understand that any delay is due to the safety of the community and not to political considerations. The people of Hong Kong still have the right to vote freely,” said Tong.

The city’s Electoral and Registration Office said it was “closely monitoring” the city’s outbreak of coronavirus and its potential impact on the election, and that it “would listen to advice from the government and health experts.”

Pro-democracy figures have denounced any suggestion to postpone the elections. Activist Joshua Wong said the pandemic was an excuse, adding that the government “feared they would receive a crushing loss in the upcoming elections.”

Opposition parties aimed to bring a wave of discontent with the government to a historic victory in the semi-democratic legislature, where just under half of the seats are controlled by so-called functional groups, which represent business and government groups. society and are typically pro-government.

Last year, pro-democracy candidates won a landslide victory in local council elections. A similar outcome in the legislative council could put them in a position to force a constitutional crisis by blocking the budget and pressuring Lam to resign. Both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments have suggested that such a plan could be illegal under the new national security law.