Taiwan yesterday condemned the arrests of seven democracy advocates in Hong Kong, including tycoon Jimmy Lai (黎智英), calling them “regrettable” and “gravely harmful to Hong Kong’s freedom of the press, human rights and democracy.”
“Hong Kong authorities should rid their city of controversy, not rid it of people. Only through sincere dialogue with Hong Kong people can the city’s problems be solved,” Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said.
Taiwan would continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong and support democracy in the territory, which is a universal value, he said.
Photo: Bloomberg
The Mainland Affairs Council criticized the national security legislation that Beijing imposed on the territory as the suppression of human rights, and characterized it as a clear purge of its administration and the expansion of Beijing’s hegemony.
This type of action would only lead to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) putting itself further at odds with Hong Kongers, and tarnish the international image of China and Hong Kong, it said.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) denounced law enforcement authorities in the territory for imposing a “red terror” under the guise of the National Security Law.
Police are arresting people on trumped-up charges, which only serves to earn them contempt, the DPP said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) voiced regret over the arrests, saying that freedom of the press is the basis for democracy and rule of law, and the Hong Kong government’s latest actions have destroyed the public’s trust in it.
The KMT supports Hong Kongers’ struggle for democracy and rule of law, Chiang said.
While the Taiwan Statebuilding Party cautioned Taiwanese to avoid travel to Hong Kong, given the CCP’s power to directly intervene in local affairs through use of the new legislation, the New Power Party (NPP) urged the council to quickly explain whether Taiwanese could be arrested while transiting at the Hong Kong International Airport if they are deemed to have contravened the new legislation.
“The law applies to an excessively broad range of issues, which could affect Taiwanese and lead them to be arrested. Some experts have even warned that Taiwanese might be arrested if they board flights of Hong Kong-based carriers or transfer flights in Hong Kong,” the NPP said in a statement. “The Mainland Affairs Council and other relevant agencies should explain to the public whether this is true.”
By arresting democracy advocates and raiding Next Digital’s (壹傳媒) headquarters, Beijing aims to force the media in Hong Kong and Taiwan to censor themselves, the NPP added.
The government should take action and stop the chilling actions from affecting Taiwan, it said.
Additional reporting by Lu Yin-hsuan, Yang Chun-hui and Wang Jung-hsiang
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