Hong Kong man accused of terrorism in first use of China’s new security law

HONG KONG (Reuters) – A man carrying a “Free Hong Kong” sign while riding a motorcycle against police in a protest against the Chinese rulers of the territory became the first person on Friday accused of inciting separatism and the terrorism under a new security law.

Beijing imposed the legislation on the former British colony earlier this week despite protests from Hong Kongers and western nations, putting China’s freest city and major financial center on a more authoritarian path.

Critics say the law, which punishes crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with life in prison, is intended to crush dissent and a long-running campaign for greater democracy.

Police say Tong Ying-kit, 23, rammed and wounded some officers in an illegal protest on Wednesday. An online video showed a motorcycle shooting down several officers on a narrow street before the driver falls and is arrested.

Tong, who was hospitalized after the incident, was charged less than 24 hours after the city government said the slogan he carried: “Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our time,” denotes separatism or subversion under the new law.

The battle cry appears on banners, T-shirts, and sticky notes taped to the walls around Hong Kong.

China’s parliament adopted the security law after sometimes violent protests last year were sparked by fears that Beijing would stifle freedoms, guaranteed by a “one country, two systems” formula agreed when Hong Kong returned to Chinese government in 1997.

Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong say the law targets a few “troublemakers” rather than broader rights that support the city’s role as a gateway for capital flows into and out of China.

But international anxiety is growing after authorities arrested 10 people under the new law within 24 hours of its entry into force. The European Union (EU) has put Hong Kong first on its agenda, while the United Nations rights office expressed alarm at the arrests.

“I’M NOT AFRAID”

In another court, dozens rallied in solidarity with a man accused of stabbing a policeman in the arm during the Wednesday riot. They held up blank pieces of paper to show fear of freedom of expression.

“I’m not afraid. Whatever happens,” said a 25-year-old protester who only identified himself as Wilson.

On Wednesday’s 23rd anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the Chinese government, police arrested some 370 people, with 10 cases related to violations of the new law.

In another ominous signal to activists, a prominent Communist Party cadre during a 2011 crackdown on land rights protesters in a southern China village will head a newly empowered national security office in Hong Kong, the agency said. Xinhua News Officer.

Zheng Yanxiong, 57, recently served as secretary general of the Communist Party Committee of Guangdong Province, on the border with Hong Kong.

The leaked images during the 2011 dispute showed him berating the villagers and calling foreign media “rotten.”

The new legislation gives the security bureau more enforcement action and powers to bring suspects to the mainland, as well as grant privileges to officers, including that Hong Kong authorities are unable to inspect their vehicles.

Some activists have kept a low profile or left.

Demosisto, a pro-democracy group led by Joshua Wong, dissolved hours after the legislation was passed, while prominent group member Nathan Law left the city.

“The protests in Hong Kong have been a window for the world to recognize that China is becoming increasingly authoritarian,” Law told Reuters.

Hong Kong’s publicly funded public broadcaster RTHK, which has come under pressure from government scrutiny, seemed to heed the law, reproducing the slogan as “L ******* # HongKong” in a comment on Twitter. contempt of some social network users.