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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Hong Kong police detain veteran democracy activists in raids |
| 2020-04-18 |
| HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong police arrested on Saturday about a dozen democracy activists on charges of illegal assembly in raids across the Asian financial hub, media and political sources said. Believed to be among those detained in the swoop is prominent Democratic Party founder and senior barrister Martin Lee, 81, broadcaster RTHK reported. In all, nine former legislators were arrested. Hong Kong police have yet to confirm the arrests, which media said related to marches on Aug. 18 and Oct. 1 last year - both days of large and at times violent protests across the city. Media showed footage of police outside the house of publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, a financial backer of the city’s pro-democracy movement. Lai was arrested on similar charges in late February, along with veteran activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum. It was unclear whether he was among those arrested on Saturday, while others named by media could not be contacted. The raids mark the biggest crackdown on the pro-democracy movement since the outbreak of large and sometimes violent anti-government protests across the former British colony in June last year. Marchers initially targeted a now-scrapped bill proposing to send suspects to mainland China for trial but protests broadened into demands for full democracy and a public investigation of the use of force by police. Saturday’s arrests come after several months of relative calm amid a partial coronavirus lockdown but just as Chinese and city government officials launch a new push for tougher national security laws for Hong Kong. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #5 Mistah Kim Jong, he (I)ll.. |
| Posted by: Lex 2020-04-18 12:06 |
| #4 LOL, silly me. OT - I am kinda wondering what is going on with fatso and his sis in DPRK. |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-18 11:44 |
| #3 ^ purged from the news |
| Posted by: Lex 2020-04-18 11:43 |
| #2 BTW, whatever came of that CCP "purge" from a day or two ago? |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-18 11:38 |
| #1 Saturday’s arrests come after several months of relative calm amid a partial coronavirus lockdown but just as Chinese and city government officials launch a new push for tougher national security laws for Hong Kong. No sense letting a good crisis go to waste. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2020-04-18 04:20 |