Hong Kong security chief vows ‘swift and efficient’ action against organiser of June 4 vigil over legal row as stand-off escalates
- Security minister Chris Tang warns authorities will follow up on group’s refusal to hand over records
- The organisation has filed a judicial review claiming police lack legal grounds to demand the information as the group is not a foreign agent as defined by the security law
Hong Kong’s security minister has vowed to take “swift and efficient” action against the organiser of the annual Tiananmen Square vigil for refusing to cooperate with a national security investigation, as the group sought to challenge the legality of the inquiry in court.
Chris Tang Ping-keung also warned on Tuesday that people in custody over national security-related charges or offences were establishing links with outside organisations to build up a new resistance.
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organises the annual June 4 commemoration, has already announced plans to disband after 32 years of activism, and an extraordinary general meeting is expected later this month to vote on the move.
The group doubled down on its refusal to cooperate with the national security investigation by filing a judicial review challenging a police order to hand over information about its operations by a Tuesday deadline.
The alliance’s core leaders also submitted a letter to the force, stating their arguments.