50 HK anti-govt figures arrested over illegal 'primary election,' accused of subversion

Hong Kong Police Wanchai district headquarters, Aug. 21, 2019 (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

 
The national security department of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) have arrested at least 50 anti-government political figures on charges of subversion, including law professor Benny Tai Yiu-ting, who initiated the opposition camp's "primary election," as well as anti-government lawmakers and district councilors who took part in the so-called "35-plus" political strategy last year, according to local media reports. 

In addition to Tai, who was a major organizer of the opposition camp's so-called "primary election" by bringing up the idea of the "35-plus" strategy, the police also arrested a number of district lawmakers and some former LegCo lawmakers including Jimmy Sham Tsz-kit, Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Wu Chi-wai, Lam Cheuk-ting, Ventus Lau Wing-hong, Fergus Leung Fong-wai and Leung Kwok-hung, Hong Kong media reports said. 

Those arrested were all connected to the "primary election" coordinated by the opposition camp in 2020, which has been criticized for damaging the fairness of the LegCo election and has been described by some mainland experts as "an attempt to usurp" the power of Hong Kong politics to achieve a complete autonomy that would have severely damaged national security. 

Those arrested were all accused of subversion under the National Security Law for Hong Kong, according to media reports. 

Legal experts saw the arrest as a legitimate action in line with local law and the National Security Law for Hong Kong, which has nothing to do with any so-called "political crackdown," as the illegal primaries organized by anti-government groups were seen as part of their ill-intentioned plan to manipulate election results, subvert state power, and collude with external forces to completely usurp the power of the authorities.  

The National Security Law for Hong Kong has been implemented for half a year and the core value of the law includes the protection of the constitutional order and security of Hong Kong, while the so-called "primary election" was suspected of undermining the fairness of the election and of subverting the democratic order of the LegCo, which posed severe challenges to the constitution and must be held accountable, Tian Feilong, associate professor at Beihang University in Beijing and member of Beijing-based Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

"Hong Kong authorities enforce the law rigorously, with sufficient evidence and assessment, underscoring that they are fulfilling their legal responsibilities under the National Security Law for Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the arrest is part of an investigation. Whether those arrested will be prosecuted and convicted is up to the Department of Justice in making a judgement in line with the national security law," Tian said.

As the cases are relevant to national security, the central government's office for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong has the right to supervise and guide the cases in accordance with the National Security Law for Hong Kong to jointly maintain legal order and the system's authority, he added. 

Benny Tai Yiu-ting Photo: on.cc

Tai, who was also one of the founders of the illegal "Occupy Central" movement in 2014 and sentenced to several months in prison. The opposition camp also demonized the national security law for Hong Kong, claiming that it threatens the "primaries," which were criticized by the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong last year, saying that such political activities are suspected of violating the national security law for Hong Kong and the local election rules. 

"The enforcement of the law also demonstrates that Hong Kong authorities have unshakeable determination to safeguard national security, which won't change when the case involves some 'high-profile' or 'star-like' anti-government political figures," Lawrence Tang Fei, a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

More importantly, as the charge is relevant to subversion under the National Security Law for Hong Kong, which is a serious accusation, the police would not have taken action if they did not have strong evidence, Tang said.