People queue up to vote in Hong Kong on Sunday during an unofficial primary for pro-democracy candidates.
More than 600,000 Hong Kongers turned out over the weekend to choose candidates for upcoming legislative elections despite warnings from government officials that the event could breach Beijing’s sweeping new law.Pro-democracy parties are keen to use seething public anger towards Beijing’s increasingly authoritarian rule to win a majority within a chamber that has always been weighted in favour of pro-Beijing parties.
“This is suspected of violating Article 22 of the national security law and other local election regulations,” the statement said. Under the law, China has claimed jurisdiction over some serious cases and allowed its intelligence apparatus to set up shop openly in the city for the first time.