Police detain key members after political group refuses to submit requested data
The Hong Kong police’s National Security Department arrested four senior members of a local political group on Wednesday morning for refusing to submit information in a national security investigation.
The four were Chow Hang-tung, vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, and three men who, along with Chow, are standing committee members of the alliance: Leung Kam-wai, Tang Ngok-kwan and Chan Dor-wai.
The arrests are fair and just, as there must be consequences for breaking the law
Spokesperson for the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR
In two press briefings, on Sunday and Tuesday, the alliance said it would not follow police instructions to provide by Tuesday the requested information, including the group’s financial links since 2014 with the US government-backed National Endowment for Democracy.
The alliance also failed to submit by Tuesday data about its funding, assets, expenditures, sources of income and activities held in the past eight years.
Hong Kong police in late August suspected the group was acting as a foreign agent, and demanded information from the group for the police investigation. The alliance was one of several groups to be asked for such information.
In a statement, the police said the four, aged 36 to 57, were arrested for failing to comply with the police’s requirement to provide information under Schedule 5 of the Implementation Rules for Article 43 of the National Security Law for Hong Kong. Police said they will not rule out more arrests.
Under Schedule 5 of the Implementation Rules, regarding foreign or Taiwan political groups and agents, if organizations or their agents fail to comply with a police requirement to provide information as requested, they face a maximum fine of HK$100,000 (US$12,900) and imprisonment for up to six months.
Providing false, incorrect or incomplete information could incur a fine of HK$100,000 and imprisonment of two years.
The police action was backed by authorities and legal experts.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said the arrests are fair and just, as there must be consequences for breaking the law. The office supports further police investigation into the alliance and the people behind it, the spokesperson said.
The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region also voiced its support for the police operation, saying that anyone who violates the National Security Law or other laws in the SAR must be dealt with in accordance with the law.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Security Bureau said police were forced to act because the organization ignored warnings and resolutely insisted on refusing to comply with the police’s requests.
The bureau also reiterates that any law enforcement actions taken by law enforcement agencies are based on evidence and in strict accordance with the law.
Yuet Ngai-keung, a member of the District Fight Crime Committee (Wong Tai Sin district), and barrister Lawrence Ma Yan-kwok questioned the reason that Chow refused to cooperate with police.
Chow, a lawyer, must know the consequences of not cooperating with police, Yuet said.
They suggested that the National Security Department continue to investigate the alliance, and crack down on all organizations and figures suspected of colluding with external forces and endangering national security.
