On the morning of Sunday, November 22, Hong Kong police arrested Hong Kong pan-democratic legislators Wang Baibu, Li Xuanlang and one other person on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, indicating that the Beijing-controlled authorities in Hong Kong continue their crackdown on pro-democracy activists.
Hong Kong media outlet “01 Line” reported that the team of Wang Baiyu and Li Xuanlang, who ran for a seat in the Legislative Council’s “Super District Council” in September this year, spent a total of about 4.89 million yuan on the election, of which 4.5 million yuan was donated by the creative company “U Made This”, which was questioned by the pro-establishment camp for declaring “astronomical” expenses; the police said that the three arrestees are now being detained for investigation, and the operation is still ongoing, and more arrests are not ruled out.
The pro-establishment camp said it doubted whether Wang Baoyu and Li Xuanlang and other non-establishment candidates had made fraudulent claims for election expenses after the Hong Kong government announced the reimbursement plan.
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections were originally scheduled for September this year, but the Hong Kong government suddenly postponed the elections for a year, citing the novel coronavirus epidemic as the reason, and subsequently announced that it would fully reimburse candidates for their reported expenses.
Recently, the Hong Kong police have arrested pan-democrats for various reasons, including the arrest of Shatin District Councilor Lee Chi-wang for “disorderly conduct in a public place” on the 17th, and for violating “the powers and privileges of the Legislative Council” on the 18th. On February 21, former Legislative Council member Kadee Chu and three others were arrested for allegedly violating the National Security Law of Hong Kong, and the host of Internet radio station “D100 Radio” was arrested. Jess had initiated a fundraising plan to support Hong Kong people in Taiwan.
In response to the news of the Hong Kong police’s new arrests of pan-democrats, the Land Commission, the Taiwan government agency responsible for dealing with mainland China, issued a statement on June 22: “The Hong Kong government’s recent spate of arrests of media, campus students, and politicians, as well as its constant elevation of national security to a higher plane of importance, have seriously deprived the people of Hong Kong of their freedom and human rights. We share the same concerns and worries.”
The Land Commission said that the Hong Kong government’s repeated use of legal means to suppress dissent will only drive people further away, not only does not help the stability of local society, but also jeopardizes Hong Kong’s status as an international financial center, and called on the relevant parties to exercise restraint, abandon coercive and oppressive behavior, and not to get trapped in a vicious circle that is detrimental to others and not to themselves.
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