UK criticises Hong Kong arrests of Tiananmen vigil organisers as attempt to stifle dissent

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has criticised the arrests of members of an opposition group in Hong Kong, describing it as an example of the Chinese central government using the city’s national security law to stifle dissent in the former British colony. On September 8, 2021, police arrested four core members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which has for years organised annual Tiananmen Square vigils in the city. The alliance had refused a police demand for its records as part of a national security investigation. Those arrested were identified as standing committee members Chow Hang-tung, Leung Kam-wai, Tang Ngok-kwan and Chan To-wai.