In the wake of the arrest of his fellow pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, Nathan Law hopes in an international coalition in defence of human rights. Here’s how to contain China, from politics to 5G
On Monday, three leaders of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong handed themselves to authorities. Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam pleaded guilty to charges of unauthorised assembly and were immediately jailed. They are now awaiting trial, to be held next week, and risk up to five years of prison time.
The trio belonged to Demosisto, the most prominent pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong, which has been disbanded following mainland China’s imposition of the new Hong Kong national security law this summer.
That law effectively cemented Beijing’s grip on the once semi-autonomous city. Under the guise of security, the Chinese Communist Party extended its jurisdiction over Hong Kong, cracking down on the city’s last shrouds of democracy.
The co-founder and co-chairman of Demosisto, Nathan Law, fled Hong Kong in July to rally up international support against China’s suffocation of civil liberties. Formiche.net reached out to him shortly after the arrest of his fellow activists.
“The political persecution continues,” he said unflinchingly, adding that he expected his colleagues to remain imprisoned for at least one year. “They may try to postpone it, but it will be useless. They will go to prison.”
Mr Law, 27, explained that the trio had remained on the ground to coordinate the pro-democracy movement. Ultimately, he said, they handed themselves in to send a message: that persecution does not stop the fight for freedom.
According to him, it’s already too late for Hong Kong’s autonomy, as the Chinese government “wiped out any residue of liberty overnight” with the imposition of the new security law. The Chinese President Xi Jinping is “pursuing his strategy of centralising power and suppressing criticism from the international community.”
They only way to counter China’s censorship is a pro-democracy international front, “a transversal alliance to strongly condemn the violation of human rights and put the Chinese government in front of its responsibilities.”
This is precisely what the young activist is working towards from Europe. For instance, when the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi toured the continent and met with his Italian counterpart, Luigi Di Maio, in Rome, Mr Law delivered a speech just outside the palace where the event took place, pressuring Italian institutions to firmly condemn China’s takeover of Hong Kong.
In the ensuing presser, standing right next to Mr Yi, Mr Di Maio ended up addressing the activist’s calls, even if indirectly. “We believe it’s indispensable to preserve a high degree of autonomy, rights and fundamental liberties for the region’s citizens,” he declared back then, causing the Chinese envoy to frown.
The most recent news provoked some reactions in the Italian halls of power. Adolfo Urso (Brothers of Italy MP and deputy leader of the parliamentary intelligence committee) expressed his solidarity to the three arrested activists, vowing to put pressure on Parliament to approve a motion in defence of freedom in Hong Kong.
Posting to Twitter, Mr Urso mentioned that just lask week Joshua Wong had spoken to the Italian Senate about freedom, predicting his imminent arrest. “The fight for freedom knows no borders,” quipped the MP.
Later on, a group of League MPs (at the opposition) issued a statement, calling the event “extremely serious” and accusing China of “wounding freedom and democracy, again.” Paolo Formentini, Eugenio Zoffili, Matteo Bianchi and Alessandro Giglio Vigna called on the Italian government to respect Western values and condemn Beijing over the arrests.
Members of the Italian government, with few exceptions, have not been exceedingly firm in condemning China’s crackdown on Hong Kong. During his interview with Formiche.net, Mr Law told us he hoped that Italy could “show more effort” in building an international coalition on human rights.
The activist voiced his faith in the promises of the next US President, Joe Biden. “[His administration] will want to lead an international axis in defence of democracy. We need a strong and leading America, that it may contain China’s advance, possibly in a more coordinated manner.”
The tech front is crucial in countering Beijing’s economic expansionism. The activist called to raise awareness about the risks that come with installing 5G components supplied by Chinese tech companies, such as Huawei, which the US has accused of being a vehicle for espionage.
