Hong Kong police yesterday arrested publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai (黎智英), an outspoken critic of Beijing, and two other pro-democracy activists on charges of illegal assembly, drawing international condemnation.
Lai, a self-made millionaire who has made financial contributions to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and has been a target of criticism in mainland media, was picked up by police at his house, Cable TV and TVB News reported.
The Apple Daily, one of the publications under Next Digital Ltd (壹傳媒) in which Lai is non-executive chairman, said he was accused of participating in an illegal march on Aug. 31 last year.
Photo: AFP
It said Lai had followed a crowd along a central route for two hours on that day, singing hymns and praying.
Veteran democracy activists and former Hong Kong legislators Lee Cheuk-yan (李卓人) and Yeung Sum (楊森) were also arrested on the same charges, Cable TV reported.
Hong Kong police confirmed the three had been charged for participation in an unapproved gathering and would appear in court on May 5.
Lai was seen by a reporter leaving Kowloon City Police Station in a black Mercedes. He gave no comment.
“The charges will not hinder our fight for democracy, freedom and our human right to continue to gather, march and protest,” Lee told reporters in front of the Cheung Sha Wan Police Station.
Lai was previously arrested in 2014 for refusing to leave a pro-democracy protest site. Following his arrest he resigned as Apple Daily editor-in-chief.
In Taipei, the Mainland Affairs Council expressed its concern over Lai’s arrest and urged the Hong Kong government to protect the right of its people to assemble as guaranteed by its Basic Law.
The Hong Kong authorities should prioritize COVID-19 outbreak containment instead of political reprisal, the council said.
“Considering the current situation, we hope the Hong Kong side can exercise restraint and respond to people’s demands sincerely, to be able to get to the crux of problems and resolve them,” it said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) also lamented Lai’s arrest on Twitter.
“Right when #Taiwan commemorates Feb 28, 1947 massacre & say no more to authoritarianism, we are saddened to learned about Jimmy Lai’s arrest. @appledaily_hk is a symbol of press & speech freedom in #HongKong & will stand tall despite repeated assaults by evil forces,” he wrote.
Amnesty International said the arrests were “a shameless attempt to harass and silence those in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.”
The Hong Kong Democracy Council, a Washington-based non-governmental organization, said that the arrests were “blatant acts of political suppression by the Hong Kong government and the Chinese Communist Party.”
Additional reporting by CNA
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from