Officers from Police Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (L-R) Chief Inspector Tsue Chun-tung, Chief Superintendent Au Chin-chau and Superintendent Ng Wai-hon, in front of items relating to making explosives seized, at police headquarters in Hong Kong, June 15, 2015.
Shannon Van Sant
June 15, 2015 10:39 AM
HONG KONG—Police in Hong Kong say they have arrested nine people and seized explosives, days before lawmakers vote on how the city-state will choose its next leader. Pro-democracy activists say the vote will likely mark the beginning of a longer struggle.
Hong Kong media report that police Monday said the arrests were made during overnight raids, after finding what they believed to be chemicals that could be used to make explosives. The South China Morning Post said that the nine arrested were between the ages of 21 and 34 and part of a radical pro-democracy group near Hong Kong’s border with the mainland.
Police said last week they were stepping up monitoring of online activity to prevent any violence ahead of the vote. But social media posts following questioned the timing of the raids.
Divisions over proposed election plan
Hong Kong is deeply divided over the proposed election plan that was the focus of last year’s so-called “umbrella revolution” where pro-democracy protesters shut down the city center for weeks. Hong Kong authorities, backed by Beijing, cleared the protests in late December, but the action left the territory deeply divided.
In recent days, one pro-democracy lawmaker claimed he was offered more than $12 million (100 million HKD) to vote for the government’s reform plan.
Joseph Cheung of the City University of Hong Kong says people in Hong Kong will be watching developments closely over the next few days.
“There is of course a fear and suspicion on the part of the pro-democracy movement that the pro-Beijing united front may use carrots and sticks to induce four or five of the pro-democracy legislators to change sides,” he said.
For detail please visit here