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Forty-seven Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners and activists were charged on Sunday.

 

The Hong Kong police said in a statement they had laid a charge against 47 persons with the single count. They will appear in court on Monday morning.

Forty-seven Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners and activists were charged on Sunday with conspiracy to commit subversion in the largest single crackdown on the opposition under a Communist China-imposed national security law.

Some who reported to police stations across the city pumped their fists and expressed defiance, flanked by supporters.

Constant suppression would never abate our faith, said Jimmy Sham.

"Hong Kongers have a really tough time these days,
I hope everyone won’t give up on Hong Kong
and fight on"

 

Of those arrested in January, only eight were not charged on Sunday, including U.S. human rights lawyer John Clancey and veteran activist James To, who remain on bail.

Among arrested was Sam Cheung, a 27-year-old activist and a participant in an unofficial primary election last summer, who was charged after reporting to a local police station.

Hong Kongers have a really tough time these days, he told reporters before entering the station. I hope everyone won’t give up on Hong Kong … (and) fight on, he added.

Xi (Jinping) wants to eradicate
the whole pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong

 

Cheung was arrested in a dawn raid along with 54 other pro-democracy campaigners on Jan. 6 in the largest national security operation since the law passed last June.


"The end of Hong Kong as we know it"

This is a very strong signal from Xi (Jinping) that he wants to eradicate the whole pro-democracy camp in Hong Kong, stated exiled activist Sunny Cheung, who had himself taken part in the primary election.

If the international community doesn’t react to the authoritarianism of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi will win and liberty and democracy will fall, a rights advocacy group, “Power for Democracy”, which co-organised the primary elections, stated.

This is the end of Hong Kong as we know it, commented Gordon G. Chang, the author Coming Collapse of China, and specialist on Communist China.

The European Union Office in Hong Kong called for the immediate release of those arrested. The nature of these charges makes clear that legitimate political pluralism will no longer be tolerated in Hong Kong, it said in a statement.