National security police freeze all assets of Hong Kong group behind annual Tiananmen vigil
- Development comes just days after members of Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China voted to disband
- Alliance secretary Richard Tsoi, who is handling group’s liquidation, says he was notified by police’s National Security Department about move
The development came days after members of the 32-year-old Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China passed a resolution to disband on Saturday by a 41-4 majority after coming under increasing scrutiny by authorities in recent months.
Alliance secretary Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong, who is handling the group’s liquidation, said he was notified by police’s National Security Department on Wednesday that they had frozen its assets including the June 4 museum on Mong Kok Road.
Police had already frozen about HK$2.2 million (US$282,000) worth of alliance assets in early September in connection with alleged acts endangering national security. Documents, computers and promotional materials, including cardboard cut-outs of the museum logo and a caricature of late alliance co-founder Szeto Wah, were also seized.
“It means all of the alliance’s bank assets and fixed assets have been frozen by the National Security Department,” Tsoi said.
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Under the legislation, the secretary for security may, by notice in writing, direct that a person must not deal with any property if there are reasonable grounds to suspect it is related to an offence endangering national security. The secretary for justice may also apply to the Court of First Instance for an order to confiscate the property related to the offence.
Tsoi said he would submit a letter to the department asking it to unfreeze the bank accounts and museum as the group needed to process winding-up procedures.
Police, accusing the alliance of acting as a “foreign agent”, an offence under the national security law, sent letters to 12 in the group in late August demanding information about its member list, financial reports and activities – a request they refused to comply with.
Madam Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping of the High Court, meanwhile, threw out bail applications from alliance standing committee members Leung Kam-wai, 36, and Chan To-wai, 57, pending trial over an alleged failure to provide information for a national security investigation.
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The pair were among five who pleaded not guilty earlier this month to a joint count of failing to comply with a notice to provide information, after refusing to furnish national security officers with details about the group’s members, financial reports and activities.
Their co-defendants included alliance vice-chairwoman Chow Hang-tung, 36, and two other standing committee members, Tsui Hon-kwong, 72, and Tang Ngok-kwan, 53.
All five of them have been remanded in custody since their first court appearance on September 10 and are expected to return to West Kowloon Court for a pretrial review on October 21.
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Under the security law and its implementation rules, the police commissioner can request a range of information from a suspected foreign agent or one with links to Taiwan.
Those who fail to comply with the request can be found guilty of an offence punishable by six months in prison and a HK$100,000 fine, unless they can convince the court that they had already exercised due diligence and that the failure was for reasons beyond their control.
Earlier this month, three alliance leaders – chairman Lee Cheuk-yan, vice-chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan and Chow – and the group itself were charged with inciting subversion against state power. Both Lee and Ho are serving jail terms for their roles in various anti-government protests in 2019.
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The Security Bureau also earlier started the process of revoking the alliance’s company registration, citing alleged violations of the Beijing-imposed security law.
Once called “subversive” by Beijing, the alliance has operated in Hong Kong since May 1989. Among its five goals were “ending one-party dictatorship” in mainland China, “building a democratic China” and “demanding accountability for the June 4 crackdown”.
Police banned the June 4 candlelight vigil this year and in 2020 citing public health concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.
