Hong Kong police arrested several members of the association organizing the annual vigil in memory of the Tiananmen repression on Wednesday, September 8, the day after their refusal to cooperate in an investigation carried out in the name of national security.
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. A journalist from Agence France-Presse (AFP) also noted that another member, lawyer Chow Hang-tung, had come out of her office handcuffed and accompanied by the police.
The organization is among pro-democracy groups under investigation for the powerful national security law imposed by Beijing to suppress dissent after massive 2019 protests in the former British colony.
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 on 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.
Up to six months in prison
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 they are 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. 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.