UK must pile pressure on China over key elections in Hong Kong, says activist in London exile

Beijing said yesterday it was opening a “national security education” base to make sure Hong Kong students are sufficiently patriotic as one of the pro-democracy campaigners seeking election to the state’s legislature was arrested yesterday under the draconian new national security law.

The centre, in the neighbouring mainland city of Shenzhen, aims to encourage pupils from the former UK colony to “enhance their constitutional and national awareness through education”, according to Xinhua, China’s official news agency.

China has blamed the education system in the troubled territory as being too liberal and Du Ling, a senior party official in Shenzhen, said that the base would “plant seeds of national identity and patriotic spirit in the hearts of more Hong Kong and Macau youth”.

The move comes just three weeks after the imposition of the new legislation, which makes most forms of protest in Hong Kong liable to heavy terms of imprisonment.

Police yesterday arrested pro-democracy politician Tam Tak-chi, who is expected to run for a seat in the legislature in September's election, on charges including incitement to participate in unlawful assembly.

Tam, 47, the vice-president of the People Power party, won an unofficial primary poll organised by the opposition to select candidates for Hong Kong’s legislative council.

Beijing officials and Hong Kong leader leader Carrie Lam said the primaries were illegal and may violate a new national security law.

Nathan Law, the prominent pro-democracy activist now in exile in London, told The Daily Telegraph yesterday that Britain needs to pile the pressure on China to ensure pro-democracy campaigners are able to take part in legislative council elections.

Mr Law, who fled Hong Kong on July 2, just after China imposed its new laws, said that the UK government should be publicly vocal about the elections to what is effectively the state parliament. It should also make direct representations to Beijing.

More than 600,000 pro-democracy campaigners voted in primaries last weekend to select candidates to fight in September’s elections. It was the biggest turnout for a primary in Hong Kong since the 1997 handover, despite fears those who organised last weekend’s poll faced prosecution under the new legislation, which means even mild forms of protesting can carry a heavy prison sentence.

Mr Law was elected to the legislative council four years ago. But he was quickly barred from taking up his position, and soon afterwards was imprisoned for organising student sit-ins in protest at China’s increasingly authoritarian approach to the former UK colony.

Mr Law said: “Britain must speak with a strong voice to protect the elections and to make sure there are no disqualifications. They must pre-emempt efforts by the authorities to bar pro-democracy candidates. That move might come as early as the end of July.”

This week, on his 27th birthday, Mr Law revealed he was in London. He is to base himself here with the aim of helping build a co-ordinated international response to China. His first week has been a whirl of meetings with politicians and the international press.

He ruled out participating in a shadow parliament planned by Simon Cheng Man-kit,  the British consulate worker allegedly tortured by Chinese secret police. After securing asylum in the UK last month, Mr Cheng told The Telegraph of his plans for a civic group to represent Hong Kong people internationally.

Mr Law, who had not yet met with Mr Cheng, said his focus was on the legislative council elections. Anything else ran the risk of diluting the pro-democracy effort, he suggested.

Mr Law said he was settling well in London. “It’s familiar to me. They drive on the right here. They even have the same plug sockets!”

He had moved house twice, and took care for his personal safety. “I do feel safe here. But I am careful about where I go, and am aware of my surroundings. I am always looking to see if I am being followed. I try not to be alone, and don’t stay out at night.”