Three arrests in Hong Kong for online posts calling for election boycott

The Independent Commission Against Corruption has arrested two men and one woman on charges of sharing messages urging people to boycott or invalidate their votes in the upcoming legislative elections on 7 December, the second to be held under the ‘patriotic only’ electoral system imposed by Beijing. While 35 MPs will not seek re-election, the government has stepped up activities in the city to increase turnout after the collapse in turnout in 2021.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Three people have been arrested by Hong Kong's anti-corruption agency on charges of sharing online posts calling on citizens to boycott the upcoming legislative elections on 7 December, defined as ‘patriots only’.

Under regulatory revisions imposed by Beijing in recent years, only those deemed sufficiently patriotic can run for the Legislative Council. Furthermore, calling for a boycott or casting invalid votes have been made illegal, with penalties of up to three years' imprisonment and fines of up to HK0,000 (€22,180).

Those arrested are two men and one woman aged between 55 and 66, according to Hong Kong Free Press. So far, 12 people have been charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC): three other men were arrested last week for allegedly damaging banners promoting the election campaign.

The upcoming Legislative Council (LegCo) elections are the second election to be held since China imposed revisions in March 2021. The changes introduced a pro-Beijing vetting committee to select candidates, reducing democratic representation. So far, 161 nominations have been accepted, of which 54 are current legislators and 107 are new contenders, while 35 current LegCo members will not seek re-election.

At the same time, to counter low voter turnout (which was 30.2% in 2021, compared to 58.3% in 2016, when Hong Kong had not yet returned to Beijing's control), the government has announced a series of measures to promote voting and maximise participation.

Voting hours, for example, have been extended by two hours: voting will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. at 615 polling stations across the city, and stations will be set up near ports and airports to assist ethnic minorities, civil servants on duty and healthcare workers who cannot leave hospitals. Some polling stations will also be set up near 11 elderly care centres and four care homes for people with disabilities.

Chief Executive John Lee sent a letter last month urging civil servants to set an example by voting, while the head of the civil service specified in a separate communication that proof of voting would not be required.

But the government is also organising a free election-themed evening called “Let's Vote, Together We Create the Future Gala”, to be held on the eve of the elections at the West Kowloon Cultural District, and will offer a subsidy of HK,000 (€2,215) to each district centre to assist elderly and disabled voters.

• Hong Kong
• elections
• boycott
• arrests