Hong Kong police arrested 14 activists in raids on Saturday on charges of illegal assembly, in the biggest crackdown on the city's pro-democracy movement since the outbreak of mass protests last year.
Among those detained in the swoop were prominent Democratic Party founder and senior barrister Martin Lee, 81, millionaire publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, 71, and former legislator and barrister Margaret Ng, 72, according to media and political sources.
In all, nine former legislators were arrested.
Democratic legislator Claudia Mo, who was not among those arrested, said the city government, led by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, was trying "into introduce a ring of terror in Hong Kong".
"They are doing whatever they can to try to silence, to take down, the local opposition," Mo said, pointing to upcoming legislative elections in September in which democrats hope to win back veto power in the city assembly.
Hong Kong police superintendent Lam Wing-ho told reporters that 14 people aged between 24 and 81 were arrested on charges of organising and participating in "unlawful assemblies" on Aug. 18 and Oct. 1 and 20 last year. He did not identify the 14.
Those days saw big and at times violent protests across the city.
Five of the 14 were also arrested for publicising unauthorised public meetings on Sept. 30 and Oct. 19, Lam said.
They were all due to appear in court on May 18, but Lam said more arrests were possible. It is not known whether any of those arrested on Saturday were being held in detention.
The raids mark the biggest crackdown on the pro-democracy movement since the beginning of the anti-government protests across the former British colony in June last year.
NEW PUSH FOR SECURITY LAW
Marchers initially targeted a now-scrapped bill proposing to send suspects to mainland China for trial but protests broadened into demands for full democracy and a public investigation of the use of force by police.
Lai was arrested on similar charges in late February, along with veteran activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum, who were also arrested on Saturday.
After his release on Saturday afternoon, Martin Lee said he felt "relieved to be listed as a defendant because I have seen many brilliant young people being arrested but I didn't."
"I don't regret what I have done," he added. "I'm proud to have the chance to walk our democracy road with Hong Kong's excellent young people."
A spokesman for the government's Security Bureau said that regardless of background or status, "in Hong Kong, everyone is equal before the law".
"No-one is above it nor can anyone break it without facing consequences ... The police will handle the case in a fair, just and impartial manner," the spokesman said.
The arrests come after several months of relative calm amid a partial coronavirus lockdown but just as Chinese and city government officials launch a new push for tougher national security laws for Hong Kong.
The Asian financial hub returned to Beijing in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees it broad freedoms not seen in mainland China, and a high degree of autonomy.
A previous attempt to draft a national security law for Hong Kong, known as Article 23, was met with mass protests in 2003 and abandoned.
Hong Kong government and security officials have recently described some of the democracy movement's actions as being close to terrorism.
Authorities are increasingly using the threat of terrorism to justify the need for new national security laws, a requirement under the Basic Law - the mini-constitution that guarantees Hong Kong's broad freedoms and outlines its relationship with Beijing.
Authorities in Hong Kong have arrested more than 7,800 people over their involvement in the last year's protests, including many on rioting charges that can carry jail terms of up to 10 years.
It is not clear how many of them are in custody. China's state media has repeatedly demanded Hong Kong's independent judiciary take tough measures against protests.
Reuters
Sat Apr 18 2020
Media mogul and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying leaves from a police station after being arrested for illegal assembly during the anti-government protests in Hong Kong, February 28, 2020 - REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
Raih RM31 juta sejak ditayangkan! Sheriff kini filem no. 1 di Malaysia
Berita gembira ini turut disokong oleh abang Syafiq, Syamsul Yusof yang turut bangga dengan kejayaan naskhah yang dihasilkan adiknya.
Letupan bom Sungai Golok: PDRM tingkat kawalan keselamatan sempadan Malaysia-Thailand
PDRM mempertingkatkan kawalan keselamatan di sempadan Malaysia-Thailand susulan insiden letupan bom dan bunyi tembakan di Sungai Golok.
Pemain ragbi meninggal dunia selepas perlawanan pasukan pilihan MB Kedah
Seorang bekas pemain Sukma Kedah meninggal dunia selepas menyertai perlawanan pertunjukan pasukan pilihan Menteri Besar Kedah pada Ahad.
OCC: Masih banyak usaha perlu dibuat dalam isu hak kanak-kanak
Masih banyak yang perlu dilakukan kerana Malaysia masih ketinggalan berbanding negara lain dalam menangani isu penderaan dan masalah sosial melibatkan kanak-kanak.
iPad Pro mungkin dijana dengan cip Apple M4 terbaharu, fokus ciri AI
Cip Apple M4 dijangka memfokuskan kepada keupayaan enjin neural yang disertakan bersama dengannya membolehkan ia menawarkan ciri AI yang lebih baik.
Lebih 840,000 permohonan untuk London Marathon 2025 pecah rekod dunia
Jumlah permohonan untuk menyertai larian TCS London Marathon tahun depan telah memecahkan rekod dunia.
WEF: Anwar jumpa 50 pemimpin industri & perniagaan, yakin pelabur bernilai tinggi pilih Malaysia
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menzahirkan keyakinan lebih banyak pelabur bernilai tinggi akan memilih Malaysia sebagai destinasi pelaburan mengikut jejak langkah syarikat-syarikat gergasi seperti Tesla, AWS, Infineon dan Nvidia.
AWANI Ringkas: Ikut jejak syarikat gergasi lain
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Bursa Malaysia dibuka tinggi seiring prestasi Wall Street
Bursa Malaysia dibuka rendah pada Isnin, mengambil petunjuk pasaran serantau dan kenaikan di Wall Street pada hari Jumaat.
Kementerian Perpaduan kaji keperluan pelan tindakan pendidikan & penghargaan Rukun Negara
Kementerian Perpaduan Negara melalui Jabatan Perpaduan dan Integrasi Nasional akan mengkaji keperluan untuk melancarkan Pelan Tindakan Pendidikan & Penghargaan Rukun Negara sejajar dengan Dasar Perpaduan Negara 2021-2030.
Lai Ching-te dari DPP menang Pilihan Raya Taiwan
Lai berdepan saingan tiga penjuru dengan Hou Yu-ih dari Kuomintang (KMT) dan Ko Wen-je dari Parti Rakyat Taiwan.
Pilihan Raya Taiwan: Rakyat mula jalankan tanggungjawab masing-masing
Pilihan raya tersebut menyusul ketika Beijing meningkatkan tekanan untuk mendapatkan pulau itu menerima kedaulatannya.
Beijing alami lebih banyak salji, gelombang sejuk dijangka melanda
Kawasan perbandaran Beijing mengalami lebih banyak salji pada Khamis dengan gelombang sejuk dijangka melanda ibu negara China itu pada Jumaat.
33 maut hujan paling lebat landa Beijing
Sekurang-kurangnya lima pekerja bantuan adalah antara mangsa yang maut. 18 orang lagi mangsa masih hilang.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Blinken tiba di China bagi kendurkan ketegangan
Beberapa siri pertemuan dengan wakil kerajaan berpangkat tinggi dirancang sebelum Blinken berlepas pada Isnin.
Gelombang panas landa beijing, suhu cecah 39 darjah Celsius
Bandar raya Beijing mengeluarkan amaran pada tahap oren berikutan suhu tinggi diramal mencecah 39 darjah Celsius pada Jumaat, menurut pihak berkuasa cuaca tempatan.
Diplomat kanan China, AS bincang tingkatkan hubungan dua hala
Perbincangan itu diadakan di Beijing pada 5 Jun, lapor Sputnik yang memetik Kementerian Luar China pada Selasa.
Presiden Xi mahu Beijing terajui bidang sains dan teknologi
China komited meneruskan strategi keterbukaan serta sedia berganding tangan dengan semua untuk mempromosi inovasi sains dan teknologi.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.