United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized China for arresting four students in Hong Kong last week on charges of "inciting secession," which marks Beijing's implementation of new security laws aimed at curbing pro-democracy protests.
Pompeo on Sunday morning responded to reports that four students — three men and one woman between the ages of 16 and 21 — were arrested on suspicion of organizing and inciting secession, Hong Kong police said. The students' phones, documents and computers were seized as part of what Pompeo and other members of the Trump administration have described as an attempt to pull back on Hong Kong's autonomy. The secretary of state has accused several state-run Chinese companies of "serious human rights abuses."
Over the weekend, Pompeo repeatedly condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for postponing Hong Kong's elections and using new anti-democracy protest policing tactics to act out "heinous abuse of the human rights of its own citizens."
"We are gravely concerned by the arrests of four students in Hong Kong under the new National Security Law and by the disqualification of pro-democracy electoral candidates. Beijing continues to break its promises and eviscerate Hong Kong's autonomy," Pompeo wrote on Twitter Sunday morning.
We are gravely concerned by the arrests of four students in Hong Kong under the new National Security Law and by the disqualification of pro-democracy electoral candidates. Beijing continues to break its promises and eviscerate Hong Kong’s autonomy.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) August 2, 2020
In a statement Saturday night, he also said: "For decades, the Hong Kong people have repeatedly demonstrated their desire and ability to hold free and fair elections. We urge Hong Kong authorities to reconsider their decision,"
The four students arrested in Hong Kong last week were charged under new laws passed by the Beijing government which criminalizes "subversion, secession and collusion" with foreigners. A pro-democracy group said its former leader, Tony Chung, was among the students arrested for "inciting secession."
Beijing has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in enforcing the new laws, saying such actions are necessary to halt the pro-democracy protests which have permeated throughout Hong Kong since 2019.
Newsweek reached out to both State Department and Chinese officials in Washington Sunday for any additional remarks about the Hong Kong crackdown.
"Our sources and investigation show that the [pro-democracy] group Studentlocalism recently announced on social media to set up [sic] an organization that advocates Hong Kong independence," said Li Kwai-wah from the new national security unit inside the Hong Kong police department. "If anyone who tells others that he advocates violating the national security law from abroad, even he does that from overseas, we have the jurisdiction to investigate these kind of cases."
Photos posted to social media recently showed Chung being handcuffed and arrested by the CCP-backed police unit in the district of Yuen Long.
The police crackdown comes after Hong Kong's government on Friday announced it would postpone elections that were originally scheduled to take place on September 6. Officials cited public health concerns tied to coronavirus, but pro-democracy groups and Pompeo have accused the CCP of trying to hurt opposition candidates which support more autonomy for Hong Kong.
"The elections should be held as close to the September 6 date as possible and in a manner that reflects the will and aspirations of the Hong Kong people. If they aren't, then regrettably Hong Kong will continue its march toward becoming just another Communist-run city in China," Pompeo wrote Saturday.
