Agnes Chow arrest under National Security Law

On 10 August 2020, Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow was arrested by Hong Kong police under Hong Kong national security law. Her arrest caused widespread controversy in the international community.

Agnes Chow arrest under National Security Law
Agnes Chow was taken by police from her home
Native name 周庭被香港警察國安處拘捕事件
Date10 August 2020
LocationTai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong
TargetAgnes Chow
ChargesCollusion with foreign forces

Background

On 30 June 2020, after the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed the Hong Kong national security law, on the same day Chow announced her withdrawal from Demosistō on the social media.[1][2]

Chow said that the arrest happened unexpectedly and described the police breaking the door and entering the process as horrible. On 12 August, she wrote on Facebook that she was not worried about her safety during her detention, but about whether the Apple Daily could continue to be published. She said that besides withdrawing from Demosistō, she would no longer participate in any international advocacy work, and she has not accepted any foreign media interviews.[3]

Arrest
Agnes Chow is seen leaving the Tai Po Police Station after being detained for 24 hours on 11 August

On 9 August 2020, Chow said on her Facebook and Instagram accounts that a group of suspicious men gathered outside her house. Four of them left in a car after several hours before another 3-4 men arrived to replace them. They took photos of her apartment.[4]

On the night of 10 August, after nine people including Jimmy Lai, the founder of Next Digital, were arrested by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police,[5] a group of police officers arrived at Chow's residence. At home, her lawyer went to follow up[6] and she was eventually arrested by the police. Shortly after her arrest, Senior Superintendent Li Kwai-wah of the National Security Department said during the meeting with reporters, that a total of 9 men and 1 woman, aged between 23 and 72 years old, were arrested on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces and conspiracy to commit fraud.[7]

Chow's Facebook post said that she was arrested by the police on the charge of "inciting secession" under the national security law.[8] The lawyer present stated that the police were searching her residence with a search warrant issued on 6 August.[9]

On 11 August, Chow posted an update on her Facebook page, stating that she was still being detained at the Tai Po Police Station. On the previous night, when she was accompanied by a lawyer, a video interview was conducted. Chow's computer, mobile phone and promotion materials were also seized by the police that night.[10]

At about 11 pm, after being detained for more than 24 hours, Chow was released on bail with a bail of HK$200,000 and a surety of HK$180,000. Her SAR passport was confiscated and she was ordered to report to the Tai Po Police Station on 1 September. Outside the police station that night, she was met by reporters, as well as activist Joshua Wong and Tiffany Yuen.[11] She said that the arrest was "the most shocking time". She believed that the reason for the arrest was very vague and "unknown" to her arrest. She criticized the regime for using the national security law to suppress political dissidents.[12][13] She also says during her detention she is empowered by the Keyakizaka46 song "Fukyouwaon".[14]

The police have since claimed that Chow and others were running an organization that pressed for foreign sanctions against Hong Kong.[15]

Chow then broadcast live on her YouTube channel on the next day after her release, recounting her arrest in Cantonese and Japanese, and sharing her thoughts. She pointed out that although the detention time was not very long, she felt very scared because if she was prosecuted under national security law, she would not be able to obtain bail. She also revealed that she was very happy to learn that Apple Daily had printed 550,000 copies, and she urged Japanese people to pay attention to the situation in Hong Kong.[16] The live broadcast was supported by a large number of Japanese netizens.[17]

On 1 September, Chow reported to the Tai Po Police Station as part of her bail conditions. She said that she was only told to take another statement after arriving at the police station at about 3 pm. When she left the police station in the evening, she stated that the police asked her to report to the police station again on 2 December. She said that she "hoped to be released on bail safely" and to spend her birthday in freedom.[18][19] However, because Chow was sentenced to prison for her unlawful assembly charges on 2 December, she could not report to the police station as she was remanded in custody.

On 3 August 2021, Chow reported to the Tai Po Police Station as part of her bail conditions for the first time after she was released on her unlawful assembly charges.[20] There were no reporters present outside the police station. After leaving the police station, she did not speak to the media and left without comment.[21][22]

Reactions

Netizens

After netizens heard that Chow was arrested, many netizens called Chow as 'the real Mulan' on Twitter, praising for her bravery, and voiced their intention to boycott the movie Mulan starring Chinese-American actor Liu Yifei, which was expected to be released in September of the same year.[23]

Japan

The news of Chow's arrest has drawn significant attention in Japan. In addition to becoming a breaking news in major Japanese media, some Japanese netizens also launched hashtags such as #FreeAgnes, #周庭氏の逮捕に抗議する on the social media Twitter to express their dissatisfaction with Chow's arrest by the Hong Kong police and demanded for her release.[24][25]

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga expressed deep concern about the arrest of Chow and others.[26] Foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi said that Japan's over Hong Kong were getting stronger.[27] A Japanese cross-party group affiliated with IPAC, Japan Parliamentary Alliance on China (JPAC), held an emergency press conference in the House of Representatives, stating that it cannot accept that the Hong Kong government violated the freedom of thought and speech with the National Security Law. In addition, the Chairman of the Communist Party of Japan Kazuo Shii stated that the Hong Kong police's aggressive arrest of Chow and others has nothing to do with socialism, but pure human rights oppression.[28] A member of House of Councillors Akira Koike even pointed out that the arrest of Chow was a major human rights violation because it is not just a domestic issue, but an international issue.[29] He called for the withdrawal of the National Security Law. Taiga Ishikawa, a member of Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, shared the news of Chow's arrest on Twitter, saying that he would continue to do his utmost to safeguard Hong Kong's free and democratic stance.[30]

A Japanese singer-songwriter Tavito Nanao released a song called "Free" to protest the Hong Kong police's arrest of Chow and other Hong Kong democrats on suspicion of violating the National Security Law. He wrote that "the progress of human rights suppression are faster than I thought, I believe I can no longer perform in China, and I can no longer see Chinese friends."[31]

Taiwan

The youth wing of the Democratic Progressive Party stated through a Facebook post that the 23-year-old Hong Kong young female named Chow was arrested, representing Hong Kong's freedom and democracy has gradually disappeared, and this kind of abuse of power arrests and searches also proves that the Chinese government has promised to remain unchanged for 50 years through "One country, two systems" is just a hoax.[32]

Taiwanese actress Ili Cheng wrote that she expressed her concern through social networking sites. In her thoughts, she wrote "Pray for all peace."[33]

France

In its issue on 20 August 2020, iconic political news weekly in France, Le Point, published an image of Joshua Wong and Chow on the front cover, with the heading Les derniers jours de Hong Kong (The Last Days of Hong Kong).[34]

See also

References
  1. "黃之鋒羅冠聰及周庭退出香港眾志 – RTHK" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). RTHK. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  2. "Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Agnes Chow quit Demosisto – RTHK". RTHK. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  3. "周庭：逾10警撬門硬闖好恐怖 ｜ 日報 ｜ 要聞港聞 ｜ 20200813". 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  4. Kong, Dimsumdaily Hong (10 August 2020). "Agnes Chow, ex-member of Demosisto under surveillance at home, arrest expected soon". Dimsum Daily. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  5. "周庭鄉郊寓所遭可疑男子監視 黃之鋒稱被「國安」跟蹤 ｜ 蘋果新聞網 ｜ 蘋果日報". 蘋果新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 10 August 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  6. "一批警員到周庭家中 未知是否拘捕 – RTHK" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). RTHK. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  7. "Arrests linked to calls for sanctions, say police – RTHK". RTHK. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  8. "Agnes Chow arrested 'for national security offence'". RTHK. 10 August 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020.
  9. "【不斷更新】港警晚間再拘捕周庭 今日引國安法已抓10人 ｜ 蘋果新聞網 ｜ 蘋果日報". 蘋果新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 10 August 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  10. "周庭仍被扣查 其社交專頁稱警昨搜寓所撿走手機電腦 – RTHK" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). RTHK. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  11. "周庭涉違《國安法》被捕 准以20萬元保釋：無悔成為爭取民主的其中一人". Inmediahk. 12 August 2020. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020.
  12. "Agnes Chow, Jimmy Lai released on police bail – RTHK". RTHK. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  13. 陳浩然, 楊婉婷 (11 August 2020). "周庭獲准保釋被收特區護照 指涉國安法被捕是「最驚的一次」". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  14. "自由はいけないことか 周庭氏に「不協和音」が交響した：朝日新聞デジタル". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  15. "警拘黎智英、周庭等六人 涉運作及資助組織促外國制裁". Now 新聞 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  16. "周庭氏「日本の応援に感謝」 YouTubeに投稿 「香港に注目を」". 毎日新聞 (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  17. 自由時報電子報 (12 August 2020). "港人「撐蘋果」 周庭獲釋公開徵求昨日《蘋果》報紙 – 國際". 自由時報電子報 (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  18. "I wish to spend my next birthday at home: Agnes Chow". RTHK. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  19. "Agnes Chow questioned by Hong Kong police". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  20. "Hong Kong democracy activist Agnes Chow arrives to report at the Tai..." Getty Images. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  21. "Hong Kong democracy activist Agnes Chow leaves after reporting at the..." Getty Images. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  22. "Hong Kong democracy activist Agnes Chow leaves after reporting at the..." Getty Images. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  23. Yu, Elaine (13 August 2020). "After Agnes Chow Is Arrested in Hong Kong, a 'Mulan' Meme Is Born". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  24. "【周庭被捕】日本各大媒體關注 #FreeAgnes 成熱門話題 網民﹕願她別受殘酷對待 | 立場報道". Stand News (in Chinese). Hong Kong. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  25. "「#周庭氏の逮捕に抗議します」がTwitterでトレンド入り。抗議のうねりは日本でも「対岸の火事ではない」". ハフポスト (in Japanese). 11 August 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  26. NEWS, KYODO. "Japanese come out in support of arrested Hong Kong activist". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  27. "Japan says concerns over Hong Kong growing". RTHK. 13 August 2020. Archived from the original on 3 April 2021.
  28. "香港、周庭氏ら逮捕 志位委員長が抗議 釈放要求/「社会主義」と無縁の専制主義". jcp.or.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  29. 小池　晃(日本共産党) [@koike_akira] (12 August 2020). "周庭さんら逮捕の不条理…私たちは「中国の暴挙」を許してはならない @gendai_biz" [The absurdity of arresting Agnes Chow and others ... We must not allow "China's violence" @gendai_biz] (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. "不滿女神被捕 日網友聲援周庭標籤成推特榜首 | 兩岸 | 重點新聞 | 中央社 CNA" (in Chinese). Central News Agency (Taiwan). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  31. "七尾旅人、周庭氏の逮捕に新曲で抗議表明「危惧された以上の速度で、人権弾圧が進んでいる」". 音楽ナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  32. "聲援周庭 民進黨：台灣青年撐香港青年 | 政治 | 中央社 CNA" (in Chinese). Central News Agency (Taiwan). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  33. 三立新聞網 (11 August 2020). "周庭被捕太沉痛！雞排妹震撼「6字」撐港 網：平安是苛求 | 娛樂星聞 | 三立新聞網 SETN.COM". www.setn.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  34. 自由時報電子報 (26 August 2020). "歐洲關注周庭被捕！ 再登法媒封面 黃之鋒：港府始料未及 – 國際". 自由時報電子報 (in Chinese). Retrieved 29 June 2021.
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