U.S. lawyer among 53 arrested in huge crackdown on Hong Kong pro-democracy figures
Hong Kong police arrested 53 former lawmakers and democracy proponents on Wednesday, including an American human rights lawyer, for allegedly violating a new national security law by participating in unofficial election primaries for the territory's legislature last year. The mass arrests were the biggest action against Hong Kong's democracy movement since the law was imposed by Beijing last June to quell dissent in the semi-autonomous territory.
"The operation today targets the active elements who are suspected to be involved in the crime of overthrowing, or interfering (and) seriously destroy the Hong Kong government's legal execution of duties," said John Lee, Hong Kong's security minister, in a news conference.
He said those arrested were suspected of trying to paralyze the government through by gaining a majority of seats in the legislature and thus creating a situation in which the chief executive had to resign and the government would stop functioning.
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Who was arrested?
All of the pro-democracy candidates in the unofficial primaries were arrested, according to tallies of the arrests being reported by the South China Morning Post, online platform Now News and political groups.
At least seven members of Hong Kong's Democratic Party — the city's largest opposition party — were arrested, including former party chairman Wu Chi-wai. Former lawmakers Lam, Helena Wong and James To were also arrested, according to a post on the party's Facebook page.
Benny Tai, a key figure in Hong Kong's 2014 Occupy Central protests and a former law professor, was also arrested, reports said. Tai was one of the main organizers of the primaries.
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U.S. human rights lawyer detained
American human rights lawyer John Clancey was also arrested on Wednesday. Clancey was the treasurer of political group Power for Democracy, which was involved in the unofficial primaries.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hong-kong-china-arrest-pro-democracy-figures-american-lawyer-john-clancey/
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