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WORLD NEWS Thursday 30 July 2020
4 Hong Kong youths arrested under new security law

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong tion that would have al-
Kong police have made lowed criminal suspects to
their first major arrests un- be extradited to face trial
der a new national security in mainland China.
law, detaining four young Opponents called that a vi-
people Wednesday on sus- olation of the independent
picion of inciting secession. legal system that Hong
Three males and one fe- Kong was guaranteed af-
male, aged 16 to 21, were ter being handed over
arrested at three locations, to Chinese rule. Although
a police official said at an the legislation was eventu-
11 p.m. news conference. ally shelved, the protesters'
All are believed to be stu- demands expanded to in-
dents. Police said the group clude calls for democratic
had made comments on changes and an investi-
social media since the law gation into alleged police
took effect that urged in- abuses, growing increas-
dependence for Hong ingly violent over the sec-
Kong, a semi-autonomous ond half of the year.
Chinese territory. That prompted Beijing to
"They say they want to es- pass the security law, say-
tablish a Hong Kong repub- ing opposition to the leg-
lic, and that they will unre- islation made its passage
servedly fight for it," said Li impossible at the local
Kwai-wah, senior superin- level in Hong Kong. Critics
tendent of a newly formed Occupy Central leader Benny Tai stands in front of a vintage double-deck bus used as a polling have decried the law as
unit to enforce the security center for an unofficial "primary" for pro-democracy candidates ahead of legislative elections in part of a major crackdown
Hong Kong Saturday, July 11, 2020.
law. "They also said they Associated Press on political activity, free
want to unite all pro-inde- speech and academic in-
pendence groups in Hong rity and as such fall under its after a leading figure in In a posting Wednesday on dependence. Some books
Kong for this purpose." purview. Hong Kong's political op- his Facebook account, Tai have been removed from
The law, which took effect Police did not identify the position was fired from his said he intended to contin- libraries over concerns they
late on June 30, was im- suspects or their organiza- university job. ue writing and lecturing on violated the legislation's re-
posed on Hong Kong by tion but a group called Stu- Hong Kong University's legal issues and asked for strictions on calls for greater
the central government in dentlocalism said on Twit- council voted to oust Ben- public support. autonomy for the city of 7.5
Beijing and has raised fears ter and Facebook that its ny Tai from his position as "If we continue in our persis- million.
that the city's autonomy former leader, Tony Chung, an associate law professor tence, we will definitely see In a statement issued after
and freedoms are being had been arrested at 8:50 in an 18-2 vote on Tuesday, the revival of the rule of law the vote to remove Tai, the
taken away. p.m. for allegedly inciting local media reported. in Hong Kong one day," Tai Chinese central govern-
Hong Kong was promised secession. Tai has been out on bail wrote. ment's liaison office in Hong
its own governing and le- The group announced it since being sentenced to While the 2014 movement Kong said it was "a punish-
gal system until 2047, or 50 was disbanding before the 16 months in prison in April failed in its bid to expand ment for evil doing."
years after the former Brit- law took effect, but has 2019 as one of nine leaders democracy in the semi- Tai's removal "upholds the
ish colony was returned to maintained an online pres- put on trial for their part in autonomous Chinese city, overall interests of Hong
China in 1997. China says ence through what it calls a 2014 drive for greater de- protests returned last year Kong, meets public expec-
that issues such as separat- a U.S. division. mocracy known as the Um- following the local govern- tations and safeguards so-
ism concern national secu- The arrests came one day brella Movement. ment's proposal of legisla- cial justice," it said.q

U.S. slaps sanctions on Syrian president’s eldest son

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. State onym of a Syrian police- tions, but the penalties also
Department on Wednes- man who turned over target non-Syrians who do
day imposed sanctions on photographs of thousands business with them.
President Bashar Assad's of victims of torture by the The law punishes any indi-
eldest son, Hafez, keeping Assad government. vidual or business that en-
up pressure on the Syrian The U.S. began imple- ters into business with the
leader and his inner circle. menting the legislation last Syrian government.
Separately, the U.S. Treasury month with a raft of eco- It was the first time that
Department announced it nomic and travel sanctions the sanctions name any of
had imposed sanctions on for human rights abuses Bashar Assad's three chil-
prominent Syrian business- and blocking a settlement dren. Hafez Assad, born in
man Wassim al-Qattan and of the country's bloody 2001, is his eldest.
nine entities for "enriching nine-year conflict. Sanc- In its designation, the Trea-
the Syrian regime through tions imposed last month sury described Al-Qattan
construction of luxury real included Assad and his as a prominent Syrian busi- This photo provided by the official Facebook page of the
estate." wife, Asmaa, members of nessman who holds several Syrian Presidency, shows Syrian President Bashar Assad, right,
The Treasury sanctions the extended Assad family, contracts with the Syrian and Russia's special presidential envoy to Syria Alexander
are the result of legislation senior military leaders and government to develop Lavrentiev, left, both wearing masks to help prevent the spread
known as the Caesar Syria business executives. Many government-owned shop- of the coronavirus, in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, July 29,
Civilian Protection Act, of those on the list were al- ping malls and hotel prop- 2020.
named after the pseud- ready subject to U.S. sanc- erties in Damascus.q Associated Press