TThe phones rang on Friday, a month earlier than expected. More than 50 politicians and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong received a call from the authorities: they were due to report to the police on Sunday.
Expecting to be charged and detained for long prison terms, many spent the weekend making last-minute preparations. They chose books to take into custody, arranged for the animals to be cared for, said goodbye to their loved ones. Tiffany Yuen, 27, spent the day at home, where she was photographed hugging a Buzz Lightyear toy, before visiting the constituents in Tin Wan.
“When the police called, I heard it was bad news,” said one, who spent most of the weekend hugging his son in silence. “I probably won’t be able to hold my son for a few years. I said, ‘You may not see Daddy for several years. You have to be brave and take care of Mom. ‘”
“I never thought things would get that far,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity, fearing that his comments would be used as further evidence against him under national security law. The legislation, introduced in Hong Kong in June, penalizes acts seen by the authorities as subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces or terrorism with life imprisonment.
“I don’t know what kind of One Country, Two System is this,” he said, referring to the policy aimed at defending Hong Kong’s freedoms and rights under Chinese rule after the 1997 sovereignty transfer.
“Now, even the mildest forms of opposition – chanting slogans and wearing certain colored masks – are seen as a potential violation of national security law,” he said. “The red line is constantly changing – we feel very insecure.”
In an operation in the early hours of January 6, which caused shock waves in Hong Kong, 55 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures, from former legislators, district councilors to young activists and activists, were arrested in the primary elections held last year. . The violent police crackdown marked the largest single operation conducted under the controversial national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong last year.
On Sunday, Hong Kong police accused 47 of them of conspiracy to commit subversion and kept them in custody before appearing in court on Monday. Prosecutors claimed that they planned to select candidates who could win a majority of the 70 seats on the legislative council in an election – subsequently postponed by the government – and then indiscriminately block legislation to “paralyze” parliament and force the resignation of the head of parliament. Executive.
They were detained in custody, appearing in a bail hearing marathon that lasted most of the week. Some passed out from fatigue, while others complained that they were unable to change their clothes for several days.
To show their eligibility for bail, some of the most prominent political figures announced their departure from their democratic political party. On Thursday, the judge denied bail to 32. On Friday, 11 of the 15 bail bonds granted remained in custody pending the government’s immediate appeal. Among those refused bail were veteran politicians Claudia Mo, Eddie Chu and Gary Fan, who were often criticized by younger activists for being too moderate.
The judge forbade the media to divulge the arguments put forward by either side at the bail hearing, during which the defendants gave speeches that brought families and even journalists to tears.
Accused of “conspiring to subvert state power”, the 47 could be sentenced to life imprisonment. The eight who have not been charged so far – including American lawyer John Clancey, pro-democracy lawmakers James To and Roy Kwong – have been bailed out until May 4.
The operation leaves almost all major voices of dissent in Hong Kong now in custody or prison.
The sudden arrests came a few days after Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said that those who “opposed China and caused chaos in Hong Kong” should be banned from public office. Xia said at a high-level symposium on February 22 that the “extremely cruel”, including detained Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, law scholar Benny Tai and arrested activist Joshua Wong, should also be “severely punished”, according to a transcript published by Bauhinia magazine, supported by Beijing. Chinese officials also emphasized that the new laws would ensure that only “patriots” rule Hong Kong.
The speed and magnitude of the crackdown on the pro-democracy camp shocked even the most experienced politicians. Many predicted that the national security law would initially target only those involved in violent protests or defenders of independence and believed that China would tolerate some pro-democracy politicians just to disguise it.
“It was a great surprise to be accused of subversion,” said American lawyer John Clancey, 79, who came to Hong Kong more than 50 years ago as a Catholic priest. “I never foresaw that.”
“Obviously, they are clearly saying that they want only patriotic people to rule Hong Kong, … they want to exclude anyone from the democratic camp,” said Clancey, who was the first foreigner detained under a comprehensive national security law. He was serving as treasurer of the Power of Democracy, an organizer of the primaries.
‘A free and safe city is degenerating’
Since the imposition of the national security law, authorities have put pressure on the judiciary, the media, schools and universities and civil society in general, including churches and NGOs, as Beijing-supported media has increasingly attacked judges, teachers and teachers. and church pastors seen as pro-democracy.
Emily Lau, a veteran politician and former Democratic Party president, deplored the drowning out of dissenting voices in the city that previously boasted of being a bastion of freedoms in the region.
“Hong Kong as we know it is disintegrating before our eyes,” said Lau. “It is disheartening to see a city that was once vibrant, free and safe, degenerating into its current state.”
“Beijing may decide to erase dissenting voices, but that would be a big mistake. Allowing different voices in Hong Kong to be part of the city’s strength and shows that Beijing is willing to tolerate opposing views ”.
While the National People’s Congress convened its annual meeting in Beijing this week, officials say the main focus is on revising Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure that the city is ruled by “patriots”.
Kenneth Chan, a professor of political science at Hong Kong Baptist University, said the crackdown would send the world the message that “the policy of ‘One country, two systems’ has ended prematurely.”
“There are no limits to an authoritarian populist drive for ‘political purity’ to bring the city under complete subjugation,” he said.
“We now have ‘show trials’ to make Democrats examples of how the party-state fights and fights with enemies …” legalizing “political struggle is the Leninist legal tradition, according to which the law is seen by the Chinese government as a a mere tool to facilitate the Party’s agenda, ”he said, citing party notices that emphasize that“ implementing the law is implementing the party’s will ”.
“The message to the world is that Beijing will not succumb to pressure from the Western coalition on human rights violations in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, etc.,” said Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, many are still brave in the prosecution protesting outside the court this week, shouting “Give us justice!” amid the strong police presence.
“You can’t live in fear … I wouldn’t stop working because of fear,” said Clancey. “In perfect love, there is no fear”.