About 200 people have been arrested underneath the national security law since China imposed it on the previous British colony within June 2020 in order to quell the 2019 unrest. Demonstrations were small and rare since the law arrived to force, in part because of government COVID-19 limitations on public gatherings.
While international critics, which includes some governments, possess warned the law continues to be used to effectively stop opposition politicians, municipal society and some media groups, both Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have said frequently the law was required to restore stability after months of sometimes-violent demonstrations.
Hong Kong officials have said the law is enforced according to evidence and not based on a person or even group’s background.
The top US diplomat in Hong Kong on Monday warned that the “crude and chilling” use of law had been threatening Hong Kong’s long-standing role as a financial centre.
The national protection arrests condemned by Washington include those of another important Catholic body in Hong Kong, 90-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen.
Mella was among more than a dozen Christian representatives which publicly petitioned then-Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam in The month of january to grant a good amnesty to mass media tycoon Jimmy Lai and other political activists who are jailed or in custody.