“The people concerned are suspected of conspiring to conspire with foreign countries or foreign forces to endanger national security – a serious act,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Representative Office in Hong Kong said, following the arrests. caused international outrage. this Sunday.
Canadian singer and citizen Denise Ho, LGBTQ rights activist, retired Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen, lawyer Margaret Ng, academic Hui Po-keung and pro-democracy activist Cyd Ho were arrested and almost all released this week by Chinese authorities .
Five were arrested for participating in the management of a dismantled fund, the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fundaimed at funding the defense of activists arrested during the massive pro-democracy demonstrations that rocked the former British colony in 2019.
Ta Kungpaoa nationalist newspaper that relies on Beijing’s Hong Kong Liaison Office, published an article on Thursday detailing six crimes allegedly made by the group and its defense fund. But most of the alleged facts mentioned by Ta Kungpao occurred prior to the enactment of this law, which is not intended to be retroactive.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly described the wave of arrests as deeply disturbing.
Singer and activist Denise Ho, who grew up in Montreal and is a Canadian citizen, was not the first to be arrested. In December 2021, he was arrested for conspiracy to publish seditious texts and spent a night at the police station before being released.
Global Affairs Canada said in a statement on Wednesday that the department was providing consular services to Denise Ho.
A spokesman for the Alliance Canada Hong Kong group, Ai-Men Lau, said the arrests were a sign of a deepening crackdown in Hong Kong.
” It’s not really surprising that this happened, but it’s still shocking. “
Since China imposed national security law there in June 2020, at least 180 Hong Kongers have been arrested. Defendants are usually not released on bail and can be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Religious freedom questioned
The religion of those arrested is completely irrelevant at no one […] more than the lawassured the Hong Kong executive, in connection with the arrest of Joseph Zen, also known as a defender of the pro-democracy movement.
But the Catholic community in Hong Kong finds it hard to believe.
The Arrest of Cardinal Zen is a Shock to the Entire Church in Hong Kong, China, and the WorldFranco Mella, 73, an Italian missionary based in Hong Kong, told AFP.
” It became apparent that there was a sword of Damocles hanging over Zen and the other members of the Church. “
Unlike in China, the Catholic community in Hong Kong has remained free to practice their faith without state control.
Source: Radio-Canada
