An elderly Hong Kong man has been arrested on suspicion of publishing “seditious” social media posts and inciting people not to vote in the upcoming “patriots only” Legislative Council (LegCo) elections.
The 68-year-old is the owner of a social media account that shared posts inciting hatred towards the Hong Kong government, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, Superintendent Chan On-ming of the police force’s National Security Department told reporters on Tuesday.
The man had allegedly been making such posts since September last year, and more recently, incited people not to vote or to cast blank votes during the LegCo elections next month, Chan said.
Police seized multiple devices from the man. He has been detained for investigation.
A sedition offence, a crime under Article 23, the city’s homegrown national security law, is punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment.
According to the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance, the offence of inciting people not to vote or to cast blank votes is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of up to HK$200,000.
Chan said police are working closely with the Independent Commission Against Corruption, which enforces the ordinance.
On Friday, the ICAC arrested three people for allegedly sharing online posts that urged a boycott of, or casting invalid ballots, in the legislative polls.
According to local media, as of Tuesday, police had arrested 18 people on suspicion of election-related offences, including criminal damage to election posters. Eight have been charged.
December 7 elections
Hong Kong will hold LegCo elections on December 7, the second since Beijing overhauled the city’s electoral system to ensure that only those deemed patriotic enough can run.
The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced requirements for candidates to obtain nominations from a small circle of political elites.
The government is pushing a city-wide campaign to promote voting following record-low turnouts in the LegCo elections in 2021 and the District Council elections in 2023.
Business chambers have echoed the government’s calls and urged employers to provide staff with flexibility on election day so that they can vote.
