HONG KONG—Hong Kong police on Thursday arrested 10 people for their alleged involvement with a now-defunct fund that aimed to help people arrested in 2019 pro-democracy protests, escalating a clampdown on dissidents in the city.
The four men and six women are accused of working with the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund to receive overseas donations and provide financial support to people who fled Hong Kong or organizations that called for sanctions against the city, police said.
A police statement did not identify the 10 people or those alleged to have been supported by them.
The arrests further intensified the Hong Kong government’s suppression of dissidents after the 2019 protests. More than 260 people have been arrested under a Beijing-imposed national security law, including many of the city’s leading pro-democracy activists.
Last year, the fund’s former trustees including Roman Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen, singer Denise Ho, and former pro-democracy lawmaker Margaret Ng were arrested under the draconian law. Cardinal Zen’s arrest at that time sent shockwaves through the Catholic community.
While they have not yet been charged with national security-related charges, they were fined in a separate case in November for failing to register the fund, which ceased operation in 2021.
Police have intensified their campaign to target eight overseas-based Hong Kong activists, including former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law, Ted Hui, and Dennis Kwok.
They accuse the eight of violating the national security law and have offered rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) for information leading to each of their arrests. The bounties are the first under the law, and the authorities’ move drew criticism from Western governments. Families of some of the activists have since been questioned by police.
Authorities also arrested former members of Demosisto—a now-defunct political party co-founded by Mr. Law—for allegedly supporting overseas activists.
Police said Thursday they searched the homes and offices of those arrested and seized documents and electronic communication devices.
“The police operation is ongoing and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out,” the statement said.
The security law has prosecuted and silenced many since its enactment in 2020.
The 2019 protests were sparked by a since-withdrawn bill that would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. Critics worried the suspects would disappear into the Chinese communist regime’s opaque and frequently abusive legal system. Opposition led to months of protests in the city.
