A Very Grim Start to 2021

Hong Kong's tolerance for dissent has practically evaporated

Six days into the new year, and Hong Kong marked a very grim day with 53 pro-democracy activists, former lawmakers and even an American lawyer arrested for alleged violating the national security law for subversion.

Lam Cheuk-ting was arrested this morning

Hongkongers woke up to the news of the arrests early this morning, including the likes of Lam Cheuk-ting, Chu Hoi-dick, Claudia Mo Man-ching, Leung Kwok-hung, and Benny Tai Yiu-ting, the brainchild behind the "35+" strategy. South Asian social worker Jeffrey Andrews was arrested too for running in the primaries. There were reports veteran pollster Robert Chung was swept up as well, but (luckily) he was not.

Also at least three news outlets, Apple Daily, Stand News and InMedia received warrants for documents to help the police in their investigations, and some HK$1.6 million was frozen in accounts.

What was this all for?

For organizing and executing the pro-democratic primary run-offs in early July last year to prepare for the upcoming Legislative Council elections that should have been held in September, but were postponed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-gnor by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tai in front of a voting station in a red bus (right)

On those two days, these "elections" were held in numerous places in all 18 districts, from district councillors' offices, to a converted double-decker bus, to shops, including one selling lingerie. At the time Tai was hoping for 200,000 people to come out to vote -- so he was overwhelmed when over 600,000 did, as they felt it was probably the last time they would be able to make their voices heard, and they are probably right.

These run-offs were a bid to help the pro-democratic camp field the best or most popular candidate in each of geographic areas to go against the pro-establishment one in the hopes that this could lead to a possible majority in the Legislative Council, to have a stronger voice in vetoing bills and such.

However, the government -- and by extension Beijing -- felt this strategy, called "35+" was subversive. These run-offs would have been legitimate in any other democratic society, but in Hong Kong it is considered dangerous.

Lee says voters of primaries won't be charged

The authorities are framing this action as a bid to paralyze the government and anyone who was involved in organizing or participating in it was arrested and charged. However, Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu reassured the public that those 600,000 who cast votes in the run-off would not be prosecuted.

How heartening.

Lawyer Clancey is chairman of the Asian Human Rights League and a member of the committee of the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group. He was treasurer for Power for Democracy, the group that organized the primaries.

Police came to the law firm where he worked, and the elderly American emerged onto the street where reporters asked if he had any words for Hongkongers. "We need to work for democracy and human rights in Hong Kong," he said before going into an unmarked police van.

What is left of the opposition? Even though almost all the opposition lawmakers resigned en masse in November last year after four of them were disqualified, Beijing did not think that was enough -- they had to be punished for even attempting to try to win a majority in Legco through democratic means.

Lawyer Clancey escorted by police from his office

It shows that Beijing does not allow any kind of dissent in Hong Kong and now Legco has practically been cleared of any opposition obstacles, and the people's right to vote for the candidate of their choosing has been effectively been eliminated. 

The institutions that create a civil society in Hong Kong are being destroyed and dismantled by Beijing, executed by the local government, and people's fears of what is happening to their hometown are heightened yet again.

The emigration queue probably grew much longer today, and people can't wait for the pandemic to end to get the hell out of Hong Kong, their home they cannot recognize anymore and are too afraid to stay here to find out what happens in the future. 

What happened today in a word: relentless.