Online 'radical' held as US slams arrests

An online media cofounder has been arrested for conspiracy to wound in connection with the "dragon slayer" radicals.

Ng Wing-tak of PPPN international, which operates on Facebook and Telegram, was arrested by officers from the police's new national security department on Thursday. He has to report back in November after being released on bail.

The 34-year-old's arrest came as police investigated cases involving the "dragon slayer" group. Four of its members were among the 12 Hongkongers who tried to escape to Taiwan by speedboat.

Officers are looking into whether Ng was involved in a December case in which police found a semi-automatic rifle and more than 100 bullets ahead of a Hong Kong island rally. It was feared those arrested had planned to use it against officers during the rally.

An owner of a mobile phone repair shop "3C" had been arrested over the case.

Ng, who once worked as an executive chef, was an active Umbrella Movement participant in 2014.

Ng was one of the founders of the community organization Island West Dynamic Movement. He participated in the district council election in 2015 but lost. He also lost in his bid to represent the catering sector in the Legislative Council elections in 2016.

The arrest came as Washington says Hong Kong must honor the rights of assembly and free speech in a statement that denounced National Day protest arrests.

It said yesterday the arrests "underscored Beijing's complete dismantlement of one country two systems [it] promised to uphold."

"By repressing peaceful public opinion, the Hong Kong government once again shows its complicity with the Chinese Communist Party's evisceration of Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms of its people.

"We deplore the local authorities' continued use of law enforcement for political purposes."

This came after 87 people - 65 males and 22 females aged between 13 and 65 - were arrested during the protests, with 74 nabbed in Causeway Bay.

But officials denied implementation of the national security law had damaged freedom of speech.

Executive councilor Ronny Tong Ka-wah said life has gradually returned to normal since the passing of the law.

"There are no mass arrests of dissidents and no shutting down of the media. Quite the contrary, people continue to criticize the central and SAR governments both publicly in the media as well as over personal social media," the barrister said.

Tong argued the concept of freedoms and national security being in conflict with one another and cannot coexist is "archaic" and "misconceived," asking "where is order if there is no national safety?"

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said Beijing has been the "strongest, most reliable and solid backer" whenever Hong Kong faces difficulties.

"The protests against the extradition bill and all the violence last year was the greatest challenge Hong Kong has faced since the handover," he said in a blog.

"When Hong Kong was trapped in the dilemma and could not solve the problem by itself, Beijing enacted the security law, making necessary and timely decisions to solve the security issues and restore stability to Hong Kong."