Three University of Hong Kong students arrested on suspicion of advocating terrorism
The student union leaders had apologised and resigned from their posts after backlash from officials. But Carrie Lam asked authorities to take further action against them
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Your support makes all the difference.Four student union leaders from the University of Hong Kong were arrested on Wednesday for “advocating terrorism” after they held a moment of silence for a man who stabbed a police officer and killed himself.
Thirty students from the union had attended an online meeting last month, which was live-streamed, and they held a moment of silence for the man. In a motion, the union had also expressed “deep sadness” over his death and appreciation for his “sacrifice,” according to local reports.
Those arrested include the president and the council chairperson of the University of Hong Kong.
Last month, after facing threats of expulsion and criticism from city officials, the student leaders had retracted the motion, apologised to other students and citizens as well.
They all also resigned with immediate effect.
In the letter of apology that the union issued, they admitted that the content of the motion was “inappropriate” and said that the union didn’t intend to incite unlawful crimes.
However, Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam asked authorities to take further action against them. She said at the time: “As the chief executive, as the university chancellor and as an ordinary citizen, I’m extremely angry. I am ashamed of the university for having student representatives do something like this.”
In Hong Kong, so far, more than 100 pro-democracy activists have been arrested under the new national security law.
The police had earlier said that the man who attacked a police officer on 1 July and killed himself had notes in his home where he declared his hatred for the police. And that mourning him was akin to “supporting terrorism.”
The police had earlier, during the anti-government protests, called the university campuses hotbeds of violence and “cancer cells” that were “endangering” the city.
The University of Hong Kong had responded to the student union’s actions by severing its ties with them.
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