HONG KONG — Hong Kong police on Thursday arrested one other particular person accused of supporting abroad activists who allegedly endangered nationwide safety, in an additional enlargement of a authorities crackdown on pro-democracy dissidents.
Police detained the 24-year-old man on the metropolis’s airport a day after 4 different folks had been arrested for allegedly utilizing firms, social media and cell functions to obtain funds for the abroad activists.
“Investigation revealed that the arrested particular person was suspected of getting reference to the group of individuals arrested yesterday,” police stated in a press release. It didn’t determine the 5 suspects.
Native media, together with the South China Morning Publish and pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po, recognized the newly arrested man as Chu Yan-ho, a former member of the now-defunct pro-democracy celebration Demosisto, which was co-founded by British-based activist Nathan Regulation.
They stated the 4 others are additionally former Demosisto members, together with ex-chairperson Ivan Lam. The Related Press couldn’t verify the identities of the 5.
The arrests got here after police obtained arrest warrants for eight overseas-based activists, together with Regulation, underneath a Beijing-imposed Nationwide Safety Regulation and supplied rewards of 1 million Hong Kong {dollars} ($127,600) for data main to every of their arrests.
The rewards are the primary underneath the regulation, which was enacted in 2020 following huge pro-democracy protests.
The arrest warrants for the eight rapidly drew criticism from Western governments, which took subject with the extraterritorial software of the safety regulation. However Hong Kong chief John Lee stated the eight, who stay in america, Australia, Canada and Britain, can be pursued for all times.
The strikes additional escalated Beijing’s broad crackdown on dissidents underneath the powerful safety regulation. Nationwide safety authorities have arrested greater than 260 folks, together with most of the metropolis’s main pro-democracy activists.
Native media say the folks arrested Wednesday used a cell software known as “Mee,” which shares details about pro-democracy companies, to safe funds to assist Regulation. The South China Morning Publish stated Chu additionally labored for “Mee.”
A examine by the AP on Friday discovered the appliance is now not obtainable on App Retailer and Google Play.
The police assertion on Thursday stated the newly arrested man was detained on suspicion of conspiracy to collude with overseas forces and commit acts with seditious intent. It stated the authorities don’t rule out additional arrests.
Many distinguished younger activists had been members of Demosisto, which had been led by Regulation and former scholar chief Joshua Wong. It was disbanded on June 30, 2020, the identical day the safety regulation was enacted.