Mass arrests in Hong Kong

Submitted by martin on 6 January, 2021 - 10:15 Author: Pete Radcliff
Localists

Many "localist" activists (above) and others have been arrested


Prominent trade union leaders were amongst the 53 activists arrested in Hong Kong on the early morning of Wednesday 6 January 2021. Carol Ng, the chair of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), and Winnie Yu, chair of the most vibrant new health workers' union, the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance (HAEA), were amongst them.

The arrests were in response to the Democracy Primaries held last June in which radicals “resistance localists” prominent in the street protests over the previous 12 months had been successful.

The primaries were to select a slate behind which all democrats might unite had been held in earlier LegCo elections without action. However now the Chinese government using its National Security Law in Hong Kong has deemed them to be “subversive” with potentially very long sentences.

In addition to trade unionists and resistance activists, the arrests also include the more moderate pan-democrat activists, for taking part in the primaries.

This is a serious escalation of the repression. Internationally the trade union movement must declare its solidarity and break links with the fake union federation, the ACFTU in China and that of the HKFTU in Hong Kong if, as is predictable, they do not oppose these arrests.


#FreeHK53 - Free Hong Kong political prisoners, end the repression

Zoom meeting, organised by Labour Movement Solidarity with Hong Kong, Saturday 30 January, 12.30pm

Speakers:
• Lee Cheuk-yan, Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions General Secretary and former Hong Kong LegCo member
• John McDonnell MP (Hayes and Harlington), former Shadow Chancellor
• John Moloney, PCS civil service union Assistant General Secretary
• Nadia Whittome MP (Nottingham East)

Chair: Laura Parker, former Momentum national organiser

Model motion and other campaign resources

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