• Hong Kong: an Asian tiger caged by Chinese power
  • Escalation: UK suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong
  • Repression: The new agony of Hong Kong, a city scared of its future

Barely 12 hours had passed since its approval when the first arrest in Hong Kong occurred under the new National Security Law. It was during the July 1 protests, on the 23rd anniversary since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule. That day, 10 people were arrested for waving flags in favor of independence, a crime punishable as secession that can carry life in prison. Among those arrested was a 15-year-old girl.

Last night, the Hong Kong police, specifically the new national security unit created by China, went one step further in their offensive by arresting four students and political activists , members of an independence group, who had announced on social networks their intention to convert the city in a republic. All of them, aged between 16 and 21 , were detained under the new security law for "organizing and inciting secession."

These arrests have caused yet another push of outrage at a city that fails to defeat its third wave of coronavirus. Local authorities have warned that Hong Kong could be facing an uncontrollable large-scale community outbreak , despite the restrictive measures implemented. This Thursday a record of 150 new cases has been reported, it is the ninth consecutive day that the daily number exceeds one hundred after months with few infections . In total, more than 3,150 people have contracted Covid-19 and 24 deaths have been reported. New measures are already underway: mandatory face masks, maximum of two people gathered in public places and a ban on eating in restaurants.

In addition to the new wave of contagions, one of the world's financial capitals is facing a long recession with an economy that contracted 9% in this second quarter of the year. "The recent increase in Covid-19 cases has clouded the short-term prospects for national economic activity," the city government said in a statement. Many open fronts to which the politician joins, with China in its effort to impose more control over one of its wayward sons . The arrest of the four young activists under the new security law sets a precedent for those who continue to challenge Beijing.

THE SITUATION OF HONGKONESE ACTIVISM

Officially, the names of those arrested were not disclosed, but images of a 19-year-old activist, Tony Chung , handcuffed by officers in the Yuen Long district, began to spread on social media . The young man is the coordinator of the independence group Studentlocalism , which was dissolved on June 30, hours before the law imposed by Beijing, which prohibits acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with a foreign country, came into effect.

Another prominent city activist, Joshua Wong, said that Chung had been detained for writing a Facebook post about "China's nationalism" and that the phones of the four youths had been hacked shortly after his arrest. Wong, who was secretary general of the Demosisto party and one of the best-known faces of the protests that bathed the city in 2019, also announced his resignation shortly after learning that Beijing had ratified the security law. Demosisto, a formation that was born in 2016, dissolved. And another of his references, student leader Nathan Law , fled to London on July 2 after testifying at a hearing in the United States Congress.

"I will continue my activism at the international level," Law said after being welcomed by the United Kingdom. The activist also released the idea of ​​being able to create a "Hong Kong Parliament in exile" . The headquarters would be near the British Parliament, where at the beginning of the month Boris Johnson opened the doors to British citizenship to three million Hong Kong people. "The new legislation is a clear breach of China's obligations when they signed the former-colony return treaty in 1997," Johnson said.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO THE NEW LAW

On Tuesday, from the old continent, the European Union adopted a package of measures in response to the security law passed by China: it will limit exports of "sensitive equipment and technologies" to Hong Kong. The Council of the EU affirmed that both the law and the actions of China "do not respect the international commitments of Beijing contained in the Sino-British Declaration of 1984 and in the Basic Law of Hong Kong" , texts that guarantee more autonomy in this territory than in mainland China.

On the other front, that of the Cold War between China and the United States, two weeks ago President Donald Trump signed an order to end preferential trade treatment for Hong Kong, meaning that the city will be treated the same as mainland China. The order supposes the suspension of arms exports, extradition agreements and the transfer of prisoners . And it includes the elimination of favorable treatment for Hong Kong passport holders trying to go to the United States.

Days later, other countries such as Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom made the decision to suspend extradition agreements with Hong Kong . Australia also opened a way for Hong Kong people to obtain permanent residence in their country.

Beijing responded on Tuesday with the same decision by suspending extradition with these three countries . "Those wrong actions seriously damaged the foundations of judicial cooperation," said Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry. Shortly thereafter, New Zealand joined this battle by suspending extradition treaties with Hong Kong . As the country's foreign minister, Winston Peters, explained, "The security law undermines the principles of the rule of law and the 'one nation, two systems' framework, as well as runs counter to China's commitment to the international community." .

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  • Hong Kong
  • China
  • U.S
  • UK
  • Australia
  • European Union
  • New Zealand
  • London
  • National Security Law
  • Facebook
  • Coronavirus
  • Canada
  • Boris Johnson

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