(Bloomberg) -- The Hong Kong and Beijing governments faced a chorus of international condemnation following the arrest of 15 people on Saturday including prominent pro-democracy activists and a lawmaker -- a crackdown that threatens to reignite fiery debate and protests.
U.S. lawmakers called on President Donald Trump to implement an act that reviews Hong Kong’s independence from Beijing. U.S. Attorney General William Barr was the latest to weigh in, saying he “condemned the latest assault on the rule of law and the liberty of the people of Hong Kong,” in a statement issued Saturday in Washington.
The arrested include Martin Lee, a former lawmaker nicknamed the father of democracy in the city, media tycoon and prominent democracy advocate Jimmy Lai, and legislator Leung Yiu-chung. Police said they were held on suspicion of organizing and participating in an unauthorized assembly in 2019, when months of pro-democracy protests upended life in the city.
China’s Liaison Office, the central government’s representative in Hong Kong, released a statement ahead of the arrests that raised new concerns about political pressure from Beijing. The Liaison Office said it wasn’t bound by a provision of Hong Kong law agreed before the city’s return to Chinese rule barring Beijing’s interference in local affairs, leading the Hong Kong government to put out subsequent statements attempting to clarify the agency’s role.
The arrests signal stepped-up efforts by Hong Kong and Beijing to crack down on the anti-government movement that spurred months of protests and upended the economy of the semi-autonomous territory. The police action follows a key court ruling earlier this month that Hong Kong’s government can only enforce its controversial ban on masks at unauthorized protests. The anti-government demonstrations have posed the most significant challenge to Beijing’s one-country, two-systems form of governance of the territory.
Across social media, politicians and netizens weighed in on the weekend arrests, with versions of the hashtag Stand With Hong Kong attracting attention globally.
U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo condemned the arrests, saying in a statement that “Beijing and its representatives in Hong Kong continue to take actions inconsistent with commitments made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration that include transparency, the rule of law,” and guarantees that Hong Kong will continue to enjoy a high degree of autonomy.
Many who weighed in criticized the timing of the arrests, accusing Beijing and Hong Kong of making the move while the world’s focus is on combating the coronavirus epidemic. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was among them.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers urged Trump to “swiftly begin implementing” the Hong Kong Human Rights & Democracy Act. Passed in November, the Act requires annual reviews of Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law to assess the extent to which China has chipped away at the city’s autonomy.
The U.K. government said it was concerned about the arrests and called for the authorities to “rebuild trust through a process of meaningful political dialogue.”
“The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to Hong Kong’s way of life and as such is protected in both the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law,” according to a statement from the U.K. Foreign & Commonwealth Office. “It is essential that any protests are conducted peacefully, and that the authorities avoid actions that inflame tensions.”
The arrested group comprises 12 men and two women aged between 24 and 81, said Superintendent Lam Wing-ho at a briefing on Saturday. Another arrest was made after the government briefing, said lawyers who circulated the list. Among those held were lawmakers Albert Ho and Leung Kwok-hung, according to Claudia Mo, an opposition legislator and former journalist.
Some of the older people arrested seemed to only play a peripheral role in last year’s “leaderless” protests.
Lee, a barrister and former lawmaker, was a founder of the city’s flagship opposition Democratic Party.
“They’re trying to shut down Hong Kong’s dissent,” Mo said. “They’re trying to escalate their scare tactics. It’s not going to work.”
The police action was connected to unauthorized assemblies on Aug. 18, Oct. 1 and Oct. 20 in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon last year, said Superintendent Lam. The operation is ongoing and police do not rule out further arrests, Lam said. Five of those arrested are alleged to also have been involved in unauthorized marches on Sept. 30 and Oct. 19.
Hong Kong’s Security Bureau said the arrests were “based on evidence from investigations and strictly according to the laws in force,” according to a statement Saturday.
“In Hong Kong, everyone is equal before the law. No one is above it nor can anyone break it without facing consequences,” according to the statement. “The Police will handle the case in a fair, just and impartial manner in accordance with the law.”
The city is experiencing a lull in protest activity as it battles the coronavirus outbreak. Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other pro-establishment figures have recently accused the opposition of endangering Hong Kong’s autonomy and livelihoods, echoing criticism from China.
The mainland’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, the top agency overseeing the financial hub, accused lawmakers of potentially violating their oaths by blocking action by the local legislature. Opposition lawmakers have prevented the body’s agenda-setting House Committee from electing a chairman since October, barring the panel from conducting business, it said.
“Some opposition lawmakers have resorted to sleazy tactics to paralyze the legislature for political gain at the expense of the public, which is tantamount to ‘political mutual destruction,’” the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said. “They could have violated their oath, which could mean misconduct in public office.
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