Hong Kong youths arrested under new security law

Hong Kong police made their first major arrests under a new national security law on Wednesday, detaining four young people on suspicion of inciting secession.

Three males and one female, aged 16 to 21, were arrested at three locations, a police official said. All are believed to be students.

Li Kwai-wah, Senior Superintendent for the Hong Kong Police National Security Department, said the youngsters were arrested on suspicion of activities related to "subversion" and "secession".

Police did not identify the suspects or their organization but a group called Studentlocalism said on Twitter and Facebook that its former leader, Tony Chung, had been arrested at 8:50 pm for allegedly inciting secession.

The national security law, which took effect late on June 30, was imposed on Hong Kong by the central government in Beijing and has raised fears that the city's autonomy and freedoms are being taken away.

Hong Kong was promised its own governing and legal system until 2047, or 50 years after the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

China says that issues such as separatism concern national security and as such fall under its purview.