A group of Hong Kong protesters has reportedly been captured by the Chinese coast guard.
Chinese officials claim they intercepted a boat with more than 10 people in China’s territorial waters of southeast Hong Kong. Those people were attempting to flee to Taiwan to seek refuge from China’s crackdown on the city.
Sources for the Wall Street Journal and Radio Free Asia said that the group included Andy Li, an activist who was arrested in Hong Kong earlier in August for his alleged ties to a dissident group suspected of colluding with foreign countries.
Other members of the group of detainees might have included suspects in two makeshift bomb cases.
It also appears that this latest incident might not be an isolated one. Dissidents have been attempting to flee the city by boat since early July, said HK01. China’s coast guard has been strengthening its presence in those waters in order to intercept people trying to escape, the outlet reported.
China’s national security law for the city went into effect on June 30. That law criminalizes acts of subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces, and terrorism. Violators of the law face penalties of up to life in prison. Because the law is written so broadly and vaguely, it has been used to target dissidents.
