Hong Kong police probe into Tiananmen Square vigil organisers not a ‘crackdown on civil society’, Carrie Lam says

The investigation into the group, which has announced plans to disband, comes amid a flurry of closures of major opposition-leaning bodies

Lam also says comfort should be taken that ‘there is only one such case’, when asked about disqualification of Hong Kong’s only remaining opposition lawmaker

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The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China is under investigation for alleged collusion with foreign forces. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:04pm, 31 Aug 2021Updated: 11:12pm, 31 Aug 2021

Hong Kong’s leader has denied that police are cracking down on civil society, saying an investigation into the alliance behind the city’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil represents a proper use of the powers granted to officers under the national security law.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s defence of a flurry of recent police probes came a week after the force’s National Security Department accused the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China – which had already decided to disband – of acting as an agent of foreign forces.

This month has also seen two other major, long-standing civic groups announce their disbandment amid police probes into their activities, including pro-opposition umbrella group the Civil Human Rights Front – organisers of massive protest marches in 2019 – and the 47-year-old Professional Teachers’ Union.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam meets the press ahead of her weekly executive council meeting on Tuesday. Photo: Nora Tam

Asked about the legal status of the group behind the annual June 4 vigil at a Tuesday press briefing, Lam denied that “a crackdown on civil society” was being conducted.

“We respect civil society, as Hong Kong has a large number of NGOs, think tanks and research agencies who are shouldering their civic responsibility in trying to improve the city’s situation,” she said.

“But where there are associations that exist to undermine Hong Kong’s security, let alone to advocate for independence or collude with external forces to harm Hong Kong and our country, that should not be something we condone.”

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