U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Cale Brown tweeted on Monday that the U.S. is deeply concerned about the arrest of Hong Kong journalist Jess (formerly known as Wan Yiu-shing), his wife, and her assistant on National Security Act (NSA)-related charges, and that it is yet another example of human rights and press freedom violations by the Chinese Communist Party and its agents in Hong Kong.
The U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau later quoted Brown’s statement on Facebook.
Jess hosts a Hong Kong webcast and frequently comments on current affairs in Hong Kong and China. He launched the “1,000 Parents, Taiwan Education” program, a crowdfunding campaign to help Hong Kong protesters who have already arrived in Taiwan by sponsoring their education and living expenses.
After he was bombarded by pro-Beijing media as “helping to raise a black devil who has absconded to Taiwan,” he was arrested by Hong Kong police officers from the National Security Branch on Saturday (June 21), during which time he needed to be taken to the hospital because he was not feeling well, and was escorted by police officers with an iron chain around his waist and hands. He was detained for 40 hours, and was released on HK$200,000 bail.
The Hong Kong police said it is suspected that some people illegally embezzled and disposed of some of the money and funded “people and organizations advocating secessionist activities”, suspected of “using money or other property to fund others to secede” and “money laundering”.
The Hong Kong government has been using the National Security Law and various other charges to suppress fundraising plans that are sympathetic to the protesters.
Recent Comments