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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 17 May 2023
China’s sentencing of U.S. citizen exposes

national security threats

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press
HONG KONG (AP) — The
life sentence imposed by
China on a 78-year-old
U.S. citizen, who was also
a Hong Kong permanent
resident, on spying charges
shows the city should “stay
vigilant” to security risks, its
leader said Tuesday.
Chief Executive John Lee
answered none of the lin-
gering questions about
why John Shing-Wan Leung
was prosecuted.
The sentence was an-
nounced Monday but nei-
ther the Hong Kong gov-
ernment nor the court in
the eastern Chinese city
of Suzhou that tried Leung
have released details of
the charges. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee speaks during a news conference in Hong Kong, March 21,
“This incident showed us 2023.
that national security risks Associated Press
could be hidden in society. had not yet received any crackdown as “black vio- 15, 2021, by the local bu-
That’s why we repeatedly in Leung’s case, authorities lence” and Hong Kong’s reau of China’s counter-
stressed that, although said. version of “color revolu- intelligence agency in Su-
Hong Kong’s situation ap- Lee, a former police officer tion,” a phrase used by Chi- zhou, according to a state-
pears to be largely stabi- and ex-head of security na and Russia to describe ment posted by the city’s
lized, we can’t let down in the city, was effectively political movements seek- intermediate court on its
our guard over national se- appointed to lead Hong ing to overturn authoritar- social media site. His de-
curity risks and have to stay Kong last year after running ian regimes. tention came after China
vigilant,” Lee said. unopposed in an election Lee said the protest move- had closed its borders and
The government said main- choreographed by Beijing. ment was an alarm bell imposed tight domestic
land Chinese authorities In his previous posts, he that reminds the city to travel restrictions and lock-
had informed Hong Kong oversaw a campaign that keep monitoring such risks. downs affecting tens of mil-
of his arrest in 2021. crushed the pro-democra- Leung’s sentencing threat- lions to fight the spread of
Hong Kong’s government cy camp. ens to further exacerbate COVID-19.
was prepared to provide In an echo of party pro- already strained ties be- Such investigations and tri-
assistance to anyone ar- paganda, Lee referred to tween Beijing and Wash- als are held behind closed
rested by mainland au- the 2019 pro-democracy ington. doors and little information
thorities upon request but protests that triggered the Leung was detained April is generally released. q

U.N. reports extensive flooding damage in central

Somalia

By OMAR FARUK due to this (flooding),” Ste-
Associated Press phane Dujarric said in a
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) statement.
— Floods caused by the At least five people, includ-
annual rains have left “a ing three children, have
trail of destruction” across been killed in the flooding,
Somalia, a United Nations Mohamed Moalim of the
spokesman said, citing in- Somalia National Disaster
undated homes and farm- Management Agency told
land as well as the shut- The Associated Press.
down of health facilities. The destruction is great-
“According to early es- est in the Hiiraan region of
timates by our partners, the central Somali state
more than 460,000 people of Hirshabelle. Thousands
have been impacted, in- of families have been dis-
cluding nearly 219,000 Men walk through floodwaters on a street in the town of placed in Beledweyne, the
men, women and children Beledweyne, in Somalia Monday, May 15, 2023. regional city with the high-
who have been displaced Associated Press est population density.q