HONG KONG – In the 1960s, John Clancey was sent to Hong Kong from a small town in the state of New York to be a priest who ministered to the city’s poor workers. He stayed and ended up becoming a defender of the city’s powerless.
More than half a century later, the lawyer faces years in prison for his role in the pro-democracy movement in his foster home.
Clancey was one of dozens of activists arrested at the opposition figures’ meeting last week – the largest since Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong six months ago. The police accused the targets of subversion after holding an unofficial primary election last year as part of a plan to win a legislative majority and derail government policy.
During an interview in his office in downtown Hong Kong, Mr. Clancey, 79, confirmed that he was arrested because he served as treasurer of a pro-democracy group that helped organize the primaries. Now a lawyer, Clancey is the first American detained under the new law, underscoring its wide reach and the willingness of the authorities to apply it to residents and foreigners.
Police confiscated his American passport after his arrest, said Clancey, although he believes he does not deserve any special treatment as an American citizen. A US Consulate spokesman declined to comment on the case, citing privacy laws. A Hong Kong government spokeswoman referred to earlier statements saying the city would safeguard national security and “would not tolerate any crime of subversion”.