Arrests show Beijing sees Hong Kong crackdown as priority: activist

Suppressing Hong Kong's democracy movement is a priority for China, even in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, a top pro-democracy leader said on Sunday, a day after police arrested him and 14 others in a surprise crackdown. The United States and others criticised the arrest of the 15 on charges of organising and participating in anti-government protests last year, the biggest crackdown on the pro-democracy movement since the outbreak of the protests almost a year ago. "This is all happening while we are in midst of a pandemic," pro-democracy activist Avery Ng told Reuters by telephone.