Name: Dozens of Hong Kong activists charged with 'subversion' | DW News
Uploaded: 2021-02-28T19:10:55.000Z
Duration: 3 min 40 s
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Hong Kong police have charged dozens of prominent pro democracy activists with subversion.

This is the single largest enforcement of Beijing sweeping new national security law.

The activists were arrested after being ordered to report to local police stations.

It's the latest in the crackdown on democratic opposition in the territory.

A group of more than 50 activists was initially arrested earlier this year after they helped organize an unofficial primary vote last July to nominate opposition candidates.

The mock vote came just weeks after China drafted the new security law.

Okay, let's bring in now DWS Phoebe Kong in Hong Kong Phoebe What will happen to the people who have been charged today?

The 47 opposition figures were prosecutors for conspiracy to commit subversion under the new sweeping national security law in Hong Kong.

They were all detained in local police station like this one behind me and will be brought to court tomorrow morning.

So by then the judge will handle the bail application to decide whether they will have to be remanded in custody in the near future before the hearing.

So as we are standing outside one of the police station where holding one of the activists prosecuted today.

Nevertheless, he still hopes that Hong Kong people can carry on and we'll move forward despite the repression.

The timing is, uh, pretty concerning is, uh this a mask?

Prosecution comes amid Beijing's plan to reform and restructure Hong Kong's electoral system fundamentally.

So we're expecting a reform announcement of Hong Kong's electoral reform in the coming weeks, if not days.

So now today the prosecution will also spells the end of the political career of many of the opposition figures.

So we have to remember that the primary they participated in which is accused of the government, that this is the this is a subversion of state power.

Over 600,000 people voted in that primary, and that really sent a signal to Beijing that there is a huge momentum in Hong Kong that people want to continue to activism within the political institution.

So now the authorities is trying to redefine the primary, and this kind of political activism and campaigning as legitimate as a legal and these national security crimes could possibly put all the election hopefuls today.

How has the protest movement in Hong Kong been affected by this new security law?

Well, today is the This is the biggest round of prosecution under the new national security Law.

And this is definitely a major setback for the whole opposition came because today all of the prosecutor were the leading activists, politicians and community leaders.

And they have been rounded up by the authorities.

And this will definitely weaken and suffocate the opposition voices on the ground.

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Dozens of Hong Kong activists charged with 'subversion' | DW News

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