Hong Kong arrests a Catholic priest for siding with democrats
As in mainland China, religious freedom is in retreat in the territory
Cardinal joseph zen is no friend of the Chinese Communist Party. Since the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule in 1997 he has been a thorn in the party’s side, criticising its human-rights record and its squeezing of the former British colony’s autonomy. On May 11th he was arrested under the new national security law. His alleged crime was raising funds for activists during the pro-democracy protests of 2019. He was released on bail shortly after.
Though it was not unexpected, Cardinal Zen’s detention shocked the city, whose autonomy, even for the first 20 years of Chinese rule, meant people enjoyed much more religious freedom than is allowed on the mainland. Catholics and Protestants have played a big role in pro-democracy movements, especially in 2019. But since the security law was passed in 2020, many have retreated from political activity.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline "Cardinal Zen’s cardinal sin"
China May 21st 2022
- The UN’s human-rights chief is finally about to visit Xinjiang
- Hong Kong arrests a Catholic priest for siding with democrats
- The Chinese capital tries to avoid a lockdown
- A new Twitter account shows how the Chinese Communist Party stirs up ultra-nationalism
- Covid shows that in China, politics matters more than pragmatism
From the May 21st 2022 edition
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