Hong Kong police arrest three members of scholar prisoner-support group By Reuters

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong police arrested on Monday three members of a pro-democracy scholar group, accusing them of a “conspiracy to incite subversion” together with by serving to ship snacks to prisoners with the purpose of recruiting followers.

Hong Kong police have arrested greater than 100 folks underneath a nationwide safety regulation that Beijing imposed on the previous British colony in June final 12 months that critics say erodes the freedoms promised when it returned to Chinese language rule in 1997.

Beijing and the town’s authorities say the regulation is critical to safeguard Hong Kong’s prosperity and guard in opposition to exterior interference.

Police Senior Superintendent Steve Li informed reporters police arrested two males and one girl, aged 18-20, saying they incited hatred of the federal government and had urged others to not obey the regulation and subvert state energy. He didn’t establish them.

Li stated a bunch generally known as Pupil Politicism had arrange road cubicles to unfold what he known as hateful speech in opposition to the federal government, together with urging folks to not use a authorities app aimed toward monitoring the unfold of the coronavirus.

Police raided the group’s warehouse and seized massive portions of sweets, surgical masks, biscuits, lotion, and books – all objects on an inventory of products prisoners are allowed to obtain from exterior – as proof.

However Li instructed democracy activists have been utilizing the objects to win over followers in jail.

“Serving to prisoners shouldn’t be an issue however it depends upon the intention,” Li stated.

“If the intention is to assist prisoners with the identical beliefs and to recruit followers … to proceed to violate nationwide safety, it’s a drawback for positive.”

The group additionally used slogans declared unlawful underneath the brand new nationwide safety regulation and informed folks to “put together for the following revolution”, Li stated.

The group stated on its Fb (NASDAQ:) web page two of its leaders, Wong Yat-chin and Chan Chi-sum, have been among the many three arrested. It didn’t establish the third individual. It didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Wall-fare, a prisoners’ rights group that offered provides for prisoners and linked them with pen-pals, disbanded final week after Hong Kong Safety Chief Chris Tang had stated inmates makes use of objects together with sweets to recruit followers inside jail and endanger nationwide safety.

The nationwide safety regulation punishes what China considers secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with overseas forces with as much as life in jail.

Most of the metropolis’s most distinguished pro-democracy politicians and activists are in jail, both underneath the brand new laws or after being convicted on different expenses.