Hong Kong activists arrested in citys birdcage election

Transcript

00:00 Hong Kong began its "Patriots Only" district election on Sunday.

00:06 It has marginalised former popular opposition figures in the city amid a national security

00:11 clampdown.

00:12 Three pro-democracy activists from the League of Social Democrats were arrested just before

00:17 voting began.

00:19 The group had planned to protest against the "birdcage" election that it said lacked any

00:23 democratic scope.

00:26 Regulations introduced in July slashed the directly elected district council seats by

00:31 nearly 80 percent from four years ago.

00:34 All candidates must also undergo national security background checks and secure nomination

00:39 from pro-government committees.

00:41 At least three pro-democracy groups, including moderates and even some pro-Beijing figures,

00:46 failed to secure enough nominations.

00:50 Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said after he cast his ballot that district councillors

00:54 will "take care of the interests of the community because they are patriots participating in

00:59 and servicing our community."

01:04 The regulation changes further narrow electoral freedoms in the former British colony.

01:09 It returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

01:13 The crackdown under a 2020 China-imposed national security law has led to arrests of former

01:19 district councillors and the disbandment of major opposition parties.

01:25 Kenneth Chen is a political scientist at Hong Kong Baptist University and a former pro-democracy

01:30 lawmaker.

01:31 "What they are doing now is the installation of the so-called patriots-only governance

01:37 structure against the backdrop of the imposition of the national security law since mid-2020.

01:44 So I'm afraid democracy is off the agenda."

01:48 Some Western governments say the China-imposed national security law has been used to crack

01:52 down on dissent.

01:55 China says it has brought stability to the financial hub after the protracted pro-democracy

02:00 protests of 2019.

02:04 For weeks, the major pro-Beijing and pro-government parties have been out in force campaigning

02:10 in a bid to boost turnout, as some observers see large numbers spanning the polls.

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