Hong Kong police arrest Tiananmen vigil organizers

Published on : 09/08/2021 – 11:21

In Hong Kong, police arrested several members of the association organizing the annual vigil in memory of the Tiananmen crackdown on Wednesday, September 8.

In a brief press release, the Hong Kong Alliance confirms that three of its members, Simon Leung, Sean Tang and Chan To-wai, were arrested on Wednesday morning. An AFP reporter also found that another member, lawyer Chow Hang-tung, had come out of her office handcuffed and accompanied by the police.

Police confirmed the arrest of three men and a woman for “failing to provide information” related to the National Security Act. The four people are taken into custody for the purposes of the investigation.

The organization is among pro-democracy groups under investigation for the powerful national security law imposed by Beijing to suppress dissent after the massive 2019 protests in the former British colony.

Up to six months in prison for not cooperating with the police

Police last month ordered the Alliance to hand over financial and operational information, accusing it of being a “foreign agent”. The association chose to ignore this request which included personal details of all members since its founding in 1989, all meeting minutes and financial reports as well as all exchanges with NGOs defending democracy and of human rights in China.

On Tuesday, the deadline for responding to police requests, Alliance members delivered a letter explaining that the request was illegal, arbitrary and that no evidence of an offense had been presented. The Alliance also rejected the accusation of “foreign agent”, explaining that it was a local group working for Hong Kong people.

The Hong Kong National Security Police Force issued a statement Tuesday evening warning that anyone not cooperating with their investigations could face a fine and up to six months in prison.

A symbolic screw-up

China is making its authoritarian mark on Hong Kong, with the arrest of dozens of pro-democracy figures.

The Alliance was once one of the symbols of political plurality in the city. Every year since 1989, it has gathered tens of thousands of people in a park on June 4 for a candlelight vigil in memory of the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown, slogans calling for democracy in China.

The last two vigils have been banned and a museum run by the Alliance was closed a few months ago. Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have warned that upcoming vigils will certainly violate national security law.

With AFP