Catholic Cardinal Arrested in Hong Kong
Written by RadioVuna on May 13, 2022
At least two people, including a 90-year-old Roman Catholic bishop and a musician, have been detained in Hong Kong on allegations of cooperating with foreign forces to damage China’s national security.
It seems that the city’s anti-dissent campaign is becoming more spiteful in punishing conduct done before the national security statute was enacted.
Many non-governmental groups in Hong Kong have shut down their Hong Kong activities as a result of the city’s ongoing crackdown on dissenting views.
Trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which offered legal assistance to persons who took part in 2019 pro-democracy events that were suppressed by security forces, were arrested on Wednesday, according to a police statement. They ranged in age from 45 to 90.
A 37-year-old man was cited for not legally registering the fund, which closed its doors in 2021, according to a criminal complaint. Anyone detained must surrender their travel papers and will be freed on bond if they comply with the ruling.
Cardinal Joseph Zen, Denise Ho, lawyer Margaret Ng, academic Hui Po-keung, and former Legislative Council member Cyd Ho Sau-lan were named by rights organizations as being involved. Hui’s whereabouts remained a mystery. Shortly before midnight on Wednesday, Zen was seen leaving a police station.
Following the protests, Beijing imposed a broad National Security Law on the city, leading to the detention of dozens of pro-democracy activists, including senior legislator Martin Lee and publisher Jimmy Lai. The city’s independent media have been wiped out, and its legislature has been restructured such that it is dominated by Beijing supporters.
Retired Hong Kong Archbishop Zen has been a vocal opponent of China and the Vatican’s 2018 deal with Beijing over bishop appointments, which he claims constituted a betrayal of China’s underground Christians. Zen has called the accord “a sellout.”
“The Holy See has learnt with worry of Cardinal Zen’s detention and is closely monitoring how the situation develops,” said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.
Her promotion of civil and political rights is well-known. Jelly Cheng, Ho’s manager, confirmed the arrest but claimed she didn’t have any other information.
Human rights organization Hong Kong Watch in the United Kingdom says Hui was detained as he attempted to flee the city.
Benedict Rogers, the group’s CEO, said today’s arrests “indicate without a shadow of a doubt that Beijing wants to increase its attack on fundamental rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.”
There should be worldwide attention to this “violent crackdown,” Rogers said. “We appeal for the immediate release of these individuals,” he stated.
According to White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House also urged on Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to stop targeting Hong Kong campaigners and promptly free Zen and others who had been “unjustly arrested and accused.”
In the wake of the mass exodus of thousands of Hong Kong residents to other countries, including Taiwan, Britain, and the U.S., there are questions about the city’s long-term economic viability.
It was announced on Sunday that John Lee, a hardline former security chief who ran unchallenged in a Beijing-controlled process and is now sanctioned by the United States for his part in the 2019 crackdown and subsequent events, had been selected as Hong Kong’s next leader.
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