Hong Kong Free Press Reports
The arrests came within 24 hours of comments by Secretary for Security Chris Tang vowing “swift and efficient action” against the group after its denial of a police data request.
Four key members of the group behind the city’s annual Tiananmen Massacre vigil have been arrested, the pro-democracy alliance has said. The arrests came the morning after they publicly refused a police demand for information as part of a national security probe into the 32-year-old group.
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China said its Vice-chair Chow Hang-tung and committee members Simon Leung, Sean Tang and Chan To-wai were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday.
The four are being held at separate police stations, the group said, including in Mong Kok and Yuen Long.
Police confirmed the arrests later on Wednesday, saying the four, aged between 36 and 57, were arrested for failing to comply with the implementation rules of Article 43 of the national security law. The force said the four are being detained for investigation and didn’t rule out further arrests.
Another alliance committee member, Tsui Hon-kwong, has not yet been arrested, according to the Alliance’s media liaison.
StandNews reported that around six police officers showed up to arrest Leung at a hotel in Tsuen Wan, while a video posted to Chow’s Facebook page showed her saying that people had come to her office door at around 7 a.m. and attempted to force the door code.
