Hong Kong police blocks local website, cites national security law

Continuing their crackdown, Hong Kong police blocked a local website however it cited National Security Law for the first time in doing so. According to a report by daily Ming Pao which cited police sources, the website named Hkchronicals.com, which repeatedly publishes pro-democracy articles, was banned without specifying any reasons. In the aftermath, police officials have said that they would take required action against the owners.

Passed in Mid-2020, the draconian National Security Law, which has been widely opposed in the autonomous region, undermines the 'one nation, two systems' doctrine. Overshadowing Hong Kong's autonomy, the law awards prison sentence to anyone found guilty of secession or subversion. Although police in the city-state have declined to reveal details on the case, they have asserted Article 43 of the National Security Law, which states the officers can order service providers to block access to electronic information deemed likely to constitute a crime endangering national security or result in such a crime, Bloomberg reported. Although authorities in Hong Kong have detained over 10,000 people since residents first started protesting in 2019, it was the first time that the authorities cited the violation of the controversial law. 

Read: Chinese Lawyer, Who Helped Hong Kong Protesters, Threatened With License Revocation

Read: Hong Kong Think Tank Raided By Police Following New Security Law Crackdown

Hong Kong warns 'offenders' 

Earlier in the day, the Hong Kong government warned that the police would investigate anyone who helps an "offender" to escape from Hong Kong. This development came after there were reports of the city looking to prosecute two Danish politicians who aided former opposition lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung as he fled to Europe. Also, the government is looking into extraditing politicians Uffe Elbaek and Katarina Ammitzboll for helping Hui in fleeing to Denmark during the end of November. 

According to the reports by ANI, the bureau said, "In light of the circumstances of each case, the police will track down the whereabouts of the fugitive offenders through various means in accordance with the law and pursue them”. It added, “Wherever any person, regardless of his nationality, is suspected of having committed a crime in organising, planning or aiding the absconding, or in such criminal conspiracy, the police will actively investigate and pursue their legal liabilities under the existing legal framework”. Talking about Hui, the bureau said that he is an offender who fabricated false reasons and lied to the court. 

Read: Hong Kong Warns Probe Against Those Who Help Protestors In Escaping

Read: Hong Kong Think Tank Raided By Police Following New Security Law Crackdown