"With Mass Arrests, Beijing Exerts an Increasingly Heavy" Topic

… Hand in Hong Kong

"They descended before dawn, 1,000 police officers fanning out across Hong Kong to the homes and offices of opposition lawmakers, activists and lawyers. They whisked many off in police cars, often without telling relatives or friends where they were being taken.

Within a few hours on Wednesday, the Hong Kong police had arrested 53 people, searched 76 places and frozen $200,000 USD of assets in connection with an informal primary for the pro-democracy camp — all under the auspices of Beijing's new national security law. In one swoop, the authorities rounded up not only some of the most aggressive critics of the Hong Kong government but also little-known figures who had campaigned on far less political issues, in one of the most forceful shows of power in the Chinese Communist Party's continuing crackdown on the city.

The message was clear: Beijing is in charge…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Courtesy of the New York Times

What can one expect from an authoritarian government? I'm surprised they waited this long to show the real teeth behind the smile.

No, they'll wait a further 2 weeks to do that…

Ha!….

Amicalement
Armand

The PRC/CCP are going to do what they want to do now, two weeks from now, and probably 4 years from now.

China does not believe in democracy any more than, say, Saudi Arabia and is serving notice to "democratic agitators" that they can leave or sit down and shut up as their shenanigans will not be tolerated. Simple as that.

We may want China to become a democracy all we want but that doesn't mean it's gonna happen.

Agree!…

Amicalement
Armand