National security law: stunned by crackdown, Hong Kong civic groups take action to avoid ‘new wave of persecution’
- Some disband, others plan to relocate servers abroad and delete volunteers’ contact information after arrest of 53 former lawmakers and activists
- District-based coalition Kickstart Wan Chai becomes the first to cease operating after co-founder Clarisse Yeung among those arrested
“Kickstart Wan Chai has aimed to bring new changes to Wan Chai residents by uniting the community. However, as Hong Kong has come to this stage, we decided to immediately disband and cease operations in view of the situation,” the group announced in a Facebook post late on Wednesday.
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Hong Kong police arrest 53 opposition lawmakers and activists, warn of more arrests
The decision followed an urgent meeting among core members after Yeung was arrested, Louis Mak King-sing, a group member and vice-chairman of Wan Chai district council, told the Post on Thursday.
“We’ve agreed that it’s time to change the way we serve the community in our own capacity,” he said, without elaborating on their concerns.
A group member speaking on condition of anonymity said the decoupling was to avoid police “intimidating” volunteers or others on the pretext of being affiliated with the coalition.
Chinese University political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung expected civic groups to become more fragmented.