Hong Kong protests: collusion with foreign forces has dropped since national security law adopted, security chief says

John Lee points to police intelligence showing protesters were highly organised in communication and division of labour

Beijing will be less likely to take over exceptional cases given work of force’s dedicated unit, he says

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Some people who had colluded with external force have quit the movement, security chief John Lee says. Photo: May Tse

Published: 7:09pm, 11 Sep 2020Updated: 12:24am, 12 Sep 2020

The level of collusion with external forces and foreign interference in Hong Kong has dropped since the national security law took effect in late June, according to security minister John Lee Ka-chiu.

Lee said he was confident that given the efforts of the police unit dedicated to handling national security cases, the likelihood of Beijing taking over exceptional ones would decrease.

“We hope violent activities will decrease significantly,” the secretary for security said during a television interview set to air on Friday night. “Of course, we must keep up our vigilance as external forces are still operating in Hong Kong.”

The government, including Lee, maintains that external forces were involved in the social unrest that erupted in June last year. The minister, who served as deputy police commissioner from 2010 to 2012, said intelligence the force had gathered showed violent protesters were highly organised in their communication and division of labour.

“These were not protests and demonstrations which involved ordinary people,” he said.

The initially peaceful marches against the now-withdrawn extradition bill morphed into a broader anti-government movement focused on political reform and police conduct. The controversial legislation would have allowed for the transfer of fugitives to mainland China and other jurisdictions with which Hong Kong lacks a formal agreement. Rallies often descended into violent clashes between radical protesters and officers that continued through the year.