Six activists who stormed the grounds of a Chinese government office in December to protest a dissident’s punishment were arrested on Thursday by Hong Kong police in what critics say is part of growing political persecution.
Unlike the rest of China, Hong Kong is promised Western-style civil liberties like freedom of protest. Britain returned Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997 but retained separate political and economic systems.
The six sneaked into the grounds of the Chinese liaison office when its main gates opened for a car on Christmas Day. They scuffled with security guards, but eventually left on their own.
The protesters were demanding the release of prominent Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波). The literary critic was sentenced that day to 11 years in jail after co-writing an unusually direct appeal to the government calling for expanded political freedoms.
Richard Tsoi (蔡耀昌) said he and his five fellow protesters were charged with unlawful assembly and released on bail of HK$500 (US$64). Unlawful assembly carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.
Both Tsoi and an independent human rights activist questioned if the arrests were justified.
“We staged a peaceful assembly that day. This is pure political persecution,” Tsoi said. “It is clear the Hong Kong government is bending to pressure from the Chinese government to suppress pro-democracy movements.”
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