Hong Kong ‘Strongly Refutes’ Criticism Over Arrests of Activists

(Bloomberg) -- The Hong Kong government has pushed back strongly against international criticism over the arrests and prosecution of pro-democracy supporters in the city, describing it as “unfounded.”

In a statement on its website, the government refuted comments made by foreign officials and politicians about the April 18 detentions of the people for organizing and participating in unauthorized assemblies in the city. Such remarks were totally unfounded and amounted to a serious intervention in Hong Kong's affairs, according to the statement.

Fifteen people, including prominent pro-democracy activists and a lawmaker, were held, a move that antagonized protesters who had paralyzed the city for much of last year and drew fresh condemnation from the U.S. and the U.K.

“The allegation by some that those arrests amounted to an attack on Hong Kong's freedoms and a breach of the Basic Law is absurd and can hardly stand the test of any law-abiding jurisdiction,” a spokesman for the Hong Kong government said in the statement.

The coronavirus outbreak essentially brought a halt to protests in Hong Kong opposing China's increasing control over the city, which saw hundreds of thousands of people hit the streets over months in demonstrations that sometimes turned violent.

In the U.S., where President Donald Trump -- who is facing re-election this year -- lawmakers called on the president to reassess Hong Kong's independence from Beijing, while U.S. Attorney General William Barr “condemned the latest assault on the rule of law and the liberty of the people of Hong Kong.”

The British government also said it was concerned about the arrests and called for the authorities to “rebuild trust through a process of meaningful political dialogue.”