This Week in Human Rights News

Mass arrests in Hong Kong

Sources: Human Rights Watch, Al Jazeera and The New York Times

• On January 6, 2021, 55 pro-democracy politicians were arbitrarily arrested in Hong Kong in the largest roundup yet since the new National Security Law came into effect on June 30, 2020.

• This included six organisers and 47 participants. The police also searched 72 places and froze over $200,000 in funds related to the effort.

• Authorities stated that those arrested violated article 22 of the National Security Law, which states that anyone who “organises, plans, commits or participates” in “seriously interfering, disrupting or undermining” the performance of the Hong Kong or central government bodies are subject to a penalty of up to life in prison for “principal offenders.”

• Wednesday’s actions involved 1,000 police officers and was ‘by far the largest such action taken since China imposed the national security legislation last year’.

• These actions further demonstrate the willingness of Hong Kong officials to weaken any kind of political opposition. 

• The National Security Law has been used to crackdown on anti-Beijing and pro-democracy protests that have rocked Hong Kong for months. 

• Pro-democracy candidates were disqualified from running for election in the Legislative Council last summer, and the election was then postponed altogether, due to Covid-19.

• In November, 4 pro-democracy incumbents were disqualified, and the remaining opposition members resigned in protest.

• Chinese and Hong Kong authorities say they are trying to bring order back to the city.

• Previously, the police had arrested dozens of people under the national security law, including Jimmy Lai, the founder of the pro-democracy paper, Apple Daily.

• Charges have yet to be filed against those 55 arrested, and all but three have been released on bail, pending further investigations. If convicted, they could be disqualified from running for office in the future.