The United States "strongly" condemns the arrests of four Democracy activists in Hong Kong, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a news briefing.
"We do strongly condemn the arrests of Cardinal Joseph Zen, Margaret Ng, Hui Po-keung and Denise Ho," Price said. "In arresting these veteran activists, scholars and religious leaders under the so-called National Security Law, Hong Kong authorities have again demonstrated that they will pursue all means necessary to stifle dissent and undercut protected rights and freedoms. We call for the immediate release of all of those who remain in custody, and of course, we continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong."
The four were arrested on allegations of colluding with foreign forces to undermine Chinese control, Bloomberg reported. The arrested parties have been released after posting bail, the story said.
When asked about the matter on May 12, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson remarked: "I want to stress that Hong Kong is a society with rule of law where no organization or individual is above the law and all offenses shall be prosecuted and punished in accordance with law. We firmly oppose any act that denigrates rule of law in Hong Kong and interferes in its affairs."
The arrests come following the election last year of John Lee as the new leader of Hong Kong. Lee is known for his loyalty to Beijing and is most well known for his crackdown of pro-democracy protests in 2019, according to Amnesty International.
