On Thursday, police detained and leveled new charges at pro-democracy leader Joshua Wong, adding to previous charges connected to his activism. He was later released, but the move is part of a widening crackdown against prominent defenders of Hong Kong’s freedoms and rule of law. Also alarming is the fate of a dozen young protesters who, on Aug. 23, attempted to flee Hong Kong by speedboat to Taiwan, hoping for political asylum. The speedboat was seized about 45 miles southeast of Hong Kong by the Chinese Coast Guard after the boat allegedly traversed Chinese territorial waters that surround Hong Kong. A former British colony handed over to China in 1997, Hong Kong once was considered an outpost of freedom and rule of law.

Source: Washington Post September 24, 2020 17:03 UTC