A local group opposed to the advocacy of Hong Kong independence petitioned the city’s police on Monday to arrest separatism activist Andy Chan Ho-tin and summon the president of the city’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club to assist in the investigation.

The group’s convener, Wong Yan-cheung, said Chan’s advocacy and acts violated Article 1 of the Basic Law

Some 30 members of the group rallied in front of Police Headquarters in Admiralty.

The group’s convener, Wong Yan-cheung, said Chan’s advocacy and acts violated Article 1 of the Basic Law, which clearly stipulates that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China.

Chan, the founder of Hong Kong National Party, delivered a speech on Hong Kong independence at the FCC in Central on Aug 14. HKNP is the city’s only political group which explicitly advocates Hong Kong independence.

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Chan also violated Section 9 and 10 of the Crimes Ordinance, Wong argued. Those sections prohibit acts intended to bring hatred to or excite disaffection against the central government's dominions or against the SAR government.

According to Section 10, any person who prints, publishes, sells, offers for sale, distributes, displays or reproduces any seditious publication shall be guilty of an offense and shall be liable for a first offense to a fine of HK$5,000 and to imprisonment for two years, and for a subsequent offense to imprisonment for three years.

Wong said the action requested of the police would have a deterrent effect on some external forces which have disrupted Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity.

Two days before the group’s request, Chan issued an open letter to US President Donald Trump to call for a revocation of the World Trade Organization memberships of Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

Chan also urged Trump to suspend Hong Kong’s differential treatment from the Chinese mainland under the US-Hong Kong Policy Act.

Disagreeing with Chan, the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, in a statement issued on Monday, said it “deeply regretted” Chan’s action.

The association said Chan’s “unreasonable” and “ridiculous” requests betrayed Hong Kong’s interests, posed threats to the city’s economy and encouraged external forces to intervene internal affairs.

As trade and logistics are pillar industries of Hong Kong, the city’s exclusion from the WTO would have serious consequences, the association noted.

Political heavyweights also joined in the condemnation. Maria Tam Wai-chu, deputy director of the Hong Kong SAR Basic Law Committee, said Chan’s letter to Trump “has gone too far”.

Tam said Chan’s request severely harms Hong Kong’s interests. She cautioned that according to world history, political movements with foreign intervention ended up with unfavorable results.

Moreover, Chan’s letter provides further justification for the city’s Security Bureau to ban his group in accordance with the Societies Ordinance, Tam said.

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