Hong Kong national security police have arrested two people on suspicion of publishing seditious posts on the social media account of their pancake shop.
A 32-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman were apprehended on Monday under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, more commonly known as “Article 23,” the police announced on Tuesday afternoon.
They were also arrested on suspicion of “assisting offenders” and “possession of dangerous drugs.”
According to the police, the man allegedly repeatedly published social media posts with seditious intent using the account of his pancake shop, located in Kwai Chung. He also stands accused of funding activities endangering national security.
The police did not give details on the woman’s involvement.
Officers found a small amount of cannabis in the pair’s home in Kwai Chung during their search. The police also obtained a court warrant to search the pancake shop and seized some cash and receipts.
The two suspects are currently detained pending investigation.
A photo circulated on Threads on Monday showed police officers – both in uniform and plainclothes – searching a shop known as hk9cake, located in Kwai Chung Plaza.
According to the shop’s Instagram account, it regularly hired former inmates who served time for offences linked to the 2019 protests and unrest.
It also shared photos and videos featuring pro-independence activist Edward Leung in the past.
Separate from the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects’ access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. Article 23 was shelved in 2003 amid mass protests, remaining taboo for years. But, on March 23, 2024, it was enacted having been fast-tracked and unanimously approved at the city’s opposition-free legislature.
The law has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and “regressive.” Authorities, however, cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to “close loopholes” after the 2019 protests and unrest.
