Hong Kong: Police arrest Cardinal Joseph Zen

Cardinal Joseph Zen

Source: Hong Kong Watch

Today, the National Security Police in Hong Kong arrested four trustees of the defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, including retired Cardinal Joseph Zen, barrister Margaret Ng, singer Denise Ho, and academic scholar Hui Po-keung, for "collusion with foreign forces".

The 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which funded legal aid to pro-democracy protestors throughout the 2019 pro-democracy movement, closed its operations in 2021.

Hui Po-keung, who is an academic scholar, was arrested at Hong Kong International Airport as he attempted to leave the city.

Commenting on the arrests, Benedict Rogers, Hong Kong Watch's Chief Executive, said: "We condemn the arrests of these activists whose supposed crime was funding legal aid for pro-democracy protestors back in 2019.

"Today's arrests signal beyond a doubt that Beijing intends to intensify its crackdown on basic rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

"We urge the international community to shine a light on this brutal crackdown and call for the immediate release of these activists."

Lord Alton of Liverpool, a Patron of Hong Kong Watch, today tabled a question in Parliament about these acts and contacted the UK's Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss. He said: "Arresting a 90 year-old Cardinal, along with one of Hong Kong's most internationally respected barristers, a popular singer and a prominent scholar takes the Chinese Communist Party regime and its proxies in Hong Kong to even lower depths of outrageous inhumanity in their repression of dissent in the city.

"The international community must speak swiftly and clearly in condemnation of these arrests, and must accompany rhetoric with action to signal that Beijing will no longer be allowed to act with impunity and get away with such egregious injustice without consequence."

Hong Kong Watch's US Patron and former US Ambassador-at-Large Sam Brownback has called for sanctions on China's leadership. He said: "This is horrible and truly unbelievable. The Chinese Communist Party has sunk to a new low. It is outrageous. China's leadership should be sanctioned immediately for their wanton disregard of the rule of law and basic civil liberties."

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni said: "The Holy See has learned with concern the news of Cardinal Zen's arrest and is following the evolution of the situation with extreme attention."

UPDATE: The Cardinal has reportedly been released on bail, according to reports circulated via social media by local journalists who also posted photos of Cardinal Zen outside the Wan Chai police station.

As he left the police station around 11pm Hong Kong time, the Cardinal reportedly got immediately into a car, without offering any comments.