In early March, a 23-year-old Hong Kong student studying in Japan returned to Hong Kong to renew her identity card.
The National Security Bureau arrested her upon her arrival. The student was suspected of “inciting secession” due to online remarks about Hong Kong’s independence.
Tomoko Ako is an international social science professor at the University of Tokyo. She specializes in modern Chinese society and expressed her worries in a blog post on April 3.
The social science professor pointed out that the arrest proved that the Hong Kong National Security Law could apply to anyone outside of Hong Kong.
Professor Ako shared her unease about the arrest that the Hong Kong National Security Law might impact the rule of law and freedom of speech of world citizens from nations outside Hong Kong.
Tomoko Ako confirmed in her post that the arrested Hong Kong female student was the girlfriend f one of her students.
Local media reported that the involved student was apprehended after landing on suspicion of making online remarks about Hong Kong’s independence.
The Japanese sociologist said the female student was physically in Japan while making remarks about Hong Kong’s independence and was taken into custody upon arriving in Hong Kong.
Afraid of the applicability of Hong Kong’s National Security Law to anyone overseas, the professor worried it would tremendously interfere with other countries’ judicial systems and freedom of speech.
“The obscure and exhaustive definition of the National Security Law of both mainland China and Hong Kong can be interpreted in any way. This time, not only it affects people in Hong Kong, but it also threatens Japanese residents.” Ako raised her concerns.
Professor Ako reminded the public that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) also repeatedly arrested and locked up many Japanese merchants and scholars in the past for “leaking state secrets” and “spying.”
She urged Japanese nationals not to overlook or ignore the risks of being persecuted by the CCP.
