Fifteen prominent opponents of the ruling government were arrested on Saturday 18 April. They are accused of involvement in the protests that shook Hong Kong in 2019. Among them were Lee Cheuk-yan (general secretary of the HKCTU), “Long Hair” and another leader of his party, many members of the moderate opposition and a press magnate.
Taking advantage of the fact that the whole world is focused on the Covid-19 crisis, Beijing’s power and its representatives in Hong Kong seem to want to strike a big blow for simultaneously:
– intimidate all those who oppose them,
– to reinforce the attacks on press freedom,
– to force through a series of texts that infringe on liberties,
– to prevent a new surge of opposition in the parliamentary elections scheduled for September.
According to the information available, the 15 opponents have been (or are expected to be) released on bail and were summoned to court in mid-May.
The member organizations of the International Labor Network of Solidarity and Struggle express their full solidarity with the victims of the raid on Saturday, 18 April.
They fully support their demands, in particular
– the lifting of the proceedings against them and those repressed for the same reasons
– respect for the freedom to demonstrate,
– the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry into police violence and arbitrary arrests