Hong Kong's pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong arrested by police for 'subversion'

On January 6, Hong Kong Police detained the democracy campaigner Joshua Wong under the city’s new national security law, a senior police source told agencies. More than 53 prominent figures, including a US citizen, that voice dissident against the PRC and Hong Kong government were arrested by the police officers in a national crackdown on charges of “subversion”. Wong was sentenced to 13 and a half months in prison for organizing the democracy protests across the semi-autonomous city and was arrested by the Hing Kong police from Shek Pik Prison as Beijing tightened control over the territory, a police officer told sources of AP. 

Since June 2019, police has sentenced at least 10,000 renowned names that opined about the political scenario in Hong Kong, including protests against the controversial National Security Law.  Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam were among many that faced charges related to anti-government protests. 24-year-old Wong, a student leader, came on the Hong Kong Police’s radar for his popular “Umbrella Revolution” that he organized outside the police headquarters over the extradition bill in Hong Kong, and arbitrary arrests and use of coercion by the security forces against the government critics. 

“I am persuaded that neither prison bars, nor election ban, nor any other arbitrary powers would stop us from activism,” Wong said.

“What we are doing now is to explain the value of freedom to the world, through our compassion to whom we love, so much that we are willing to sacrifice the freedom of our own. I’m prepared for the thin chance of walking free.”

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Wong said, 'will continue to fight'

Earlier, last month, three Hong Kong dissidents including Joshua Wong were remanded into custody after they pleaded guilty in the court for inciting a rally during last year’s pro-democracy protests. Wong’s rally that demanded free elections convulsed Hong Kong with violence and protests for seven straight months as Beijing slapped pro-democracy forces with criminal charges under sweeping new national security law. However, according to AP, Wong told reporters, “We will continue to fight for freedom — and now is not the time for us to kowtow to Beijing and surrender.” In magistrate’s court, Wong had pleaded guilty for illegal assembly and guilty to incitement. 

Hong Kong’s democracy advocate was put behind the bars on charges of subversion and sedition charges and is now serving time, hong Kong’s local broadcaster Tam Tak-chi reported. The arrest attracted flak and condemnation across many nations including the United States. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the statement, "The United States will not stand idly by while the people of Hong Kong suffer under Communist oppression.” Meanwhile, UK’s foreign minister Dominic Raab reportedly called the detention "a grievous attack on Hong Kong's rights and freedoms and Beijing deliberately misleading the world about the true purpose of security law.” 

[Hong Kong activists, from left, Joshua Wong. Credit: AP]

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(Image Credit: AP)