A dozen people fleeing Hong Kong on a speedboat, including an activist arrested under the draconian new national security law, have been captured by China, police in the city said Friday.

The boat was intercepted by the coastguard, police said, with local media saying it was en route to Taiwan, a self-ruled island that regularly offers sanctuary to people escaping the authoritarian mainland.

Multiple media reports said the 12 included Andy Li, who was arrested earlier this month for alledged collusion with foreign forces -- a crime under the new Beijing-imposed law that carries a possible life sentence.

The pro-Beijing Wen Wei Po newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said others onboard included several arrested for their part in the sometimes violent pro-democracy protests that wracked Hong Kong for much of 2019.

Beijing imposed its swingeing national security law in June after tiring of the protests.

Overnight, certain opinions and expressions in previously free-wheeling Hong Kong became illegal, and activists have spoken of a deep chilling effect that has seen books yanked from libraries and publishers rush to amend their titles.

Hong Kong's administration insists the law has not impinged on the rights to freedom of speech and assembly guaranteed to the territory when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

But a number of pro-democracy figures have left the city since it came into effect, fearful that they may be swept up in a Beijing dragnet and disappear into the mainland's opaque and Communist Party-run justice system.

Before the new law was imposed in response to the huge protests that erupted in June 2019, Hong Kong police had arrested more than 9,000 people, among whom more than 600 were charged with rioting, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.

At least 50 former Hong Kong protesters had already applied for asylum in various jurisdictions before the coronavirus pandemic ended most international travel. Hundreds more have relocated to democratic Taiwan.

Hong Kong police said the 12, aged between 16 and 33, were being held by mainland authorities.

They gave no details on when they would be handed back to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong police sift the past to pursue new security law crimes
Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 28, 2020 - Hong Kong police are using the past words and deeds of government critics to bolster investigations under the city's sweeping new security law, despite the legislation not being retroactive.

The law, described by China as a "sword" hanging over the heads of its pro-democracy opponents, was imposed on the financial hub by Beijing in June, with authorities promising it would not apply to past transgressions.

But details from more than 20 arrests so far show actions including political speeches and online posts made before the law was introduced have formed a key part of investigations, helping police obtain search warrants, conduct raids and make arrests.

"They will go back into your history and look for connections," one lawyer involved in national security investigations told AFP, requesting anonymity to speak freely, adding police were empowered to use past acts as "background information" for both investigations and upcoming trials.

On August 10, police conducted their largest operation yet under the law, arresting 10 people -- six of them for "colluding with foreign forces".

Much of the drama centred on the arrest of newspaper owner Jimmy Lai and a subsequent raid by more than 200 officers on his Apple Daily newspaper.

- Political adverts -

On the same day, three officers paid a more discreet visit to the local newsroom of Nikkei, the Japanese financial newspaper, armed with a court order.

The reason, according to a source present who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, was an advert placed in Nikkei a year ago calling for international support for pro-democracy protests then convulsing the city.

Similar adverts ran in papers around the world and were paid for with crowd-funding.

Despite being a collaborative effort, the Nikkei advert featured the name of pro-democracy party Demosisto, which was led by young activists until it disbanded hours before the security law came in.

Later that evening, one of Demosisto's leading figures, 23-year-old Agnes Chow, was arrested alongside two other former student activists.

At a media briefing that day, police offered some details of the operation.

Without naming individuals, they said media company executives allegedly used an overseas account to provide financial support for a three-member group that lobbied for foreign sanctions against Hong Kong.

"The group remained active after the law came into force," senior superintendent Li Kwai-wah said.

After her release, Chow said the collusion charges were "very vague accusations without specifying time and means", and she was "clueless" about what actions she may have taken to break the new law.

Speaking to the Apple Daily, his own newspaper, Lai said police had focused their attention on calls he made before the law took effect on June 30 lobbying for international action.

- Social media posts -

Past social media posts have also become a focus for police.

Tony Chung, 19, was arrested alongside three others on July 29 for allegedly inciting secession.

He is a former member of Studentlocalism, a pro-independence group that disbanded its Hong Kong chapter before the security law came in.

Police said the arrests were made after an overseas group left a post on Facebook, following the imposition of the security law, calling for Hong Kong to become a republic.

Chung denied having anything to do with the post.

During his 40 hours of detention, he said most of the evidence presented by police was made up of old social media comments.

"All those posts were published before the law came into force, with the oldest one dated in 2016," Chung told AFP.

A Hong Kong police spokesperson declined to comment on active investigations but said "there is no retroactive effect" on the work they carry out under the national security law.

So far only one person has been charged under the legislation -- a man who allegedly drove a motorbike into police officers while flying a pro-independence flag. He is facing one count of terrorism and one charge of inciting secession.

The lawyer involved in national security cases said he believed police often had no intention of charging those arrested.

"Intimidation, forfeiting their travel documents, and using those released on bail to pick up more people are the three purposes," he said.

District councillor Chow Wai-hung was the 11th person arrested under the law after he raised placards at a protest in late July, including one that read "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" -- a popular but now banned slogan.

"No officer answered when I asked why I was accused of inciting secession," he told AFP after he was released on bail.

"Except one who shouted that I should prepare for three years in jail."

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Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong reveals fear of arrest
London (AFP) Aug 23, 2020
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong told Sunday how he constantly feared arrest following the imposition of a new security law in Hong Kong, in a virtual appearance at British book festival. The 23-year-old said his very participation in the event might put him at risk, but that it was his duty to keep speaking out about China's tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city. Wong said that two hours before he appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, he was tailed by an unknown car wit ... read more