Winter is Coming

The front page of Ming Pao of the 53 arrested

 

Over 30 hours after the shocking arrests of 53 pro-democracy activists, district councillors and former lawmakers, they are slowly granted bail and released in a trickle.

A few minutes ago before midnight, Benny Tai Yiu-ting was released from police custody and came out of the station to the flash of cameras and applause.

Reporters peppered Tai with questions, but he only gave a statement: "Hong Kong is entering a deep winter. A strong gust of cold wind has come. But I believe many Hongkongers will walk against the wind in their own way."

Lester Shun was released earlier tonight

Poetic, but will it be prophetic?

One of those released, district councillor Lester Shum said the accusation of violating the national security law was due to the opposition taking part in the primaries last July for the Legislative Council election that was supposed to be held in September but was postponed because of the pandemic.

"I think it is absurd because they are not alleging I have said something or have done something after I participated in the [primary] elections," said Shum, a former student leader. "They merely accused me of subversion because we have all participated in the democratic primaries."

Former lawmaker Raymond Chan Chi-chuen accused the government of using the national security law to suppress opposition parties.

1,000 police involved in yesterday's operations

"How do our actions endanger the country? The right to participate in an election and to exercise the veto power as an elected legislator come from the Basic Law," he said as he left Central police station. He was granted HK$30,000 (US$3,870) bail and required to surrender his passport.

Helena Wong Pik-wan, another former lawmaker said: "Regardless if the police lay charges, we are banned from leaving Hong Kong in the coming six months and are stuck here. They detained us for 30 hours. I think they want to threaten Hong Kong people not to run in elections."

The government justified the arrests yesterday, saying those arrested were attempting to "paralyze" and "overthrow" the government by attempting to control the legislature.

However, several legal scholars questioned how holding the primaries was a threat of force under the national security law.

Others said there needed to be more evidence to prove there were direct or indirect calls for violence or illegal funding activities as part of the primary run-off to demonstrate the alleged crime of subversion.

Relief as Eddie Chu was granted bail

While most of the 53 have been released, they have not been charged, though they could be charged later.

For a few hours this evening there were concerns about what happened to former lawmaker Eddie Chu Hoi-dick, who could not be located. It turns out he was moved from Tai Po police station to Pat Heung police station.

In these times everyone has to be accounted for. And if anything this experience has made many of those arrested even more determined in their cause. 

Is this what Beijing really wants?