Arrests, lockdown and exodus begins in Hong Kong as changes continue into 2021

After a tumultuous year in 2020, what will 2021 look like for Hong Kong? Journalist Tommy Walker gives a roundup and analysis of what's been happening in the region.

The rewiring of Hong Kong resumed into the New Year as the former British colony feels the effects of political changes within the city.

Beijing implemented the national security law on Hong Kong last June, kicking off a political crackdown. Street protests came to a halt, whilst pro-democracy activists were either arrested or jailed. Before the year ended, the city saw its entire pro-democracy lawmaker camp quit en masse from the Legislative Council, in one of the most notable years in Hong Kong’s recent history.

Protestors in Hong Kong in 2020. Photo: Tommy Walker

With the rest of the world hoping the New Year would bring a sigh of relief compared to 2020 amid the global pandemic, Hong Kong didn’t get the memo. More politically charged arrests have ensued, the city’s first lockdowns have taken place and geopolitical tensions have continued.

By the first week of January, a national security police operation consisting of 1,000 officers swarmed the city in early morning raids, detaining over 50 pro-democracy political figures under the national security law in connection with the primary elections that took place in July.

The unofficial primaries are held to pick opposition candidates of the now-postponed 2020 Legislative Council elections. Residents turned out in numbers, with over 600,000 voters.

Several former lawmakers were arrested including Claudia Mo, Eddie Chu, and Alvin Yeung, whilst former Hong Kong University law professor Benny Tai, the organiser of the primaries, was also detained. US human rights lawyer John Clancey was among the 50-plus arrested, the first foreigner arrested under the new security law.

Claudia Mo, a former Legislative Council member. Photo: Tommy Walker

Political commentator Joseph Cheng, a former student at Wellington's Victoria University, said the arrests “included almost the entire political spectrum of the local pro-democracy movement” and that the arrests suggested that “Chinese authorities no longer tolerate an effective opposition”.

All detainees were eventually released on bail and as it stands there are no charges against them. But the warning signs are still there for a further flash round up of arrests.

And it wasn’t long before Hong Kong authorities arrested another lawyer, this time in connection with the 12 Hong Kong youths who fled the city for Taiwan, before being captured at sea by the Chinese Coastguards in August.

Hong Kong lawyer, Daniel Wong Kwok-tung, was one of 11 people arrested by national security officers for allegedly assisting the dozen Hong Kong residents escape. He was later released after spending nearly two days in police custody, but Wong still was mystified as to why he was arrested in the first place.

“In my position, I will continue to use my profession to do what I deeply believe I should do,” he said at a press conference.

Daniel Wong Kwok-tung was released from Sha Tin Police Station after posting bail on 15 January, 2021. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Wong_Kwok-tung,_Hong_Kong_human_rights_and_criminal_lawyer.jpg)

Chow Hung Tung, a barrister and vice-president of the Hong Kong alliance group, said the offence violating the national security law is being overused.

“Nowadays they are using this for everything, basically using this license to abuse power, “ Chow said.

After Hong Kong was transferred back to China from Britain in 1997, Beijing promised Hong Kong would retain a “high degree of autonomy” until 2047 under the “one country, two systems” agreement.

After the 2019 anti-government protests, Beijing wanted to bring stability to the city and therefore implemented the national security law for Hong Kong that came into effect on June 30, 2020. It prohibits secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, and its details can be widely interpreted. Protests have stopped whilst activists and lawmakers have been arrested, jailed, or fled into political exile.

Covid-19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to slowly take its toll on Hong Kong, and its crammed population of more than 7 million people. Since November, Hong Kong has endured its longest sustained daily number of cases as it continues to deal with its “fourth wave.”

Healthworkers in Hong Kong amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Tommy Walker

The government recently decided to apply mini lockdowns for certain districts within the city, in what has been described as “ambush-style” lockdowns. This is a sudden plan to target residential buildings in attempts to test residents for the virus, hoping to find more active cases lingering silently. But so far, the number of residents tested negative has largely outweighed the handful of positive tests.

As it stands, Hong Kong has registered 10,453 positive cases, with 181 coronavirus-related deaths.

For residents in Hong Kong looking to leave the city amid its recent issues, their chances got one step closer as Britain announced that applications for the newly modified British National (Overseas) scheme opened as of 5 pm on January 31. After the national security law came into effect last June, the British government decided to expand the privileges for BNO holders, offering over 5 million Hong Kong residents the chance to live, work, and study in the UK for five years and apply for citizenship afterwards.

This decision has caused tension from Beijing, who have persistently stated that Hong Kong’s issues are an internal affair. Quickly after Britain released BNO application details at the end of January, China’s Foreign Minister Zhao Lijian that “China will no longer recognise the BN(O) passport as a valid document or for identification” and warned of further measures in the future.

Despite this, the British government estimates around 320,000 will take up the offer.

- Asia Media Centre