London – Hong Kong’s pro-democracy politician Nathan Law, who was in exile in Britain, told CBS News on Wednesday that, had he not moved out of the city last year, Dozens of politicians and activists arrested China’s latest, “utterly absurd” under the guise of a new “national security” law.
The overnight arrest of 53 pro-democracy politicians and activists was the biggest action under China’s new national security law, which was passed by Beijing last year. The new law was created to prevent dissent in the semi-autonomous region, which, despite being part of China, had a separate system of government that guaranteed fundamental freedoms.
“It’s definitely devastating for me. Many of those arrested are my friends. I’m really on the list. If I were in Hong Kong, I’d be arrested just a few hours earlier,” Law said .
David Cliff / Nurphoto / Getty
Dozens of people arrested were accused of plotting “mutual destruction” of China and Hong Kong through their participation in an informal primary election to narrow pro-democracy opposition candidates for seats on the region’s Legislative Council (Legoco) I went. If elected to the council, these candidates could potentially influence or block laws passed from Beijing.
The law invoked the government’s explanation that by trying to get elected, detainees attempted to block the government’s operation, “completely absurd, because in any normal and democratic system, we’ve got checks and balances” , And the council’s duty is to hold an administrative hold accountable with measures, including blocking their bills. “
“It’s really part of the function and power of the system,” he said. “But the government sees it as a sabotage act.”
He said the world would have to “wait and see” whether all 53 people arrested on Wednesday would actually face prosecution.
“There are still pending questions as to whether this is a genuine prosecution for all … or targeting some of them” is believed to be the political unrest Hong Kong masterminds have seen in the past year.
Those fearing the law may face harsh punishments, most prominent of which is politician Joshua Wong, however. Jailed since early December, Can see his sentence increased.
The mass arrest was also the first time a foreigner was detained under the new National Security Act. US human rights lawyer John Clancy, who was involved in pro-democracy work in Hong Kong, was among those detained.
“It’s definitely a big shock,” Law said. “I think the US government should be very concerned with the case, and this is possibly another type of hostage diplomacy from Beijing.”
AP
The law urged the US government and the wider international community to hold China accountable, and it urged the European Union to stop the EU-China investment agreement.
“None of us should take these freedoms. Even in America, around the world, if we are not cautious enough, they will be taken away very quickly, very quickly,” Law said.
He said that for himself and for other Hong Kongers who had “a taste for freedom for decades … losing it is a huge blow, and its impact is much greater than if you were pursuing something like that That you never had. “
“I think that really gives momentum to those who are still a migrant community and have left Hong Kong, or even live in Hong Kong, have the confidence to fight for it, even if the situation is more Getting harder than that. “
.