Pro-democracy activists ejected from Macau

Two pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong were deported hours after entering Macau, the Hong Kong Free Press reported.

The episode coincided with the visit of the Chairman of the National People’s Congress, Zhang Dejiang, who oversees Hong Kong and Macau Affairs for the NPC.

According to the Hong Kong Free Press, Wong Tan-ching, the convener of the Tuen Mun Community Network, entered Macau with a friend at around 1 p.m. on Monday.

Wong claims to have been stopped by local police at the Senado Square area around 7 p.m. that day. Since Wong’s friend had left his immigration forms at a hotel room, the two were brought to a local police station to confirm his identity.

Wong said he was later taken to the organized crime division, where he was asked if he was in contact with the New Macau Association and its vice president Sulu Sou. He denied any affiliation with the organization and its vice president.

Wong was subsequently deported at around 1 a.m. yesterday on grounds of threatening the internal security of Macau, according to local police. He added that he had planned a tourist trip more than a month ago and did not know Zhang Dejiang would be visiting.

“The network is deeply disappointed by the Macau authorities’ unreasonable act. We hope the government will stop political suppression in the form of unreasonable deportation,” a statement issued by the Tuen Mun Community Network reads.

The network was formed in January last year to tackle issues facing the Tuen Mun community. Wong ran for a seat in the chief executive election committee last year, where he campaigned for the boycott of the election and failed to secure a seat.

The Hong Kong Free Press reported that fellow pro-democracy activist Hui Lap-san, a district councillor’s assistant, entered Macau as a tourist on Sunday to meet his girlfriend.

Hui arrived at the Taipa ferry terminal at 9.30 p.m. on Monday for his return trip to Hong Kong, only to be detained by immigration officials. He was then brought to the police headquarters and asked if he was in contact with Macau activists. The police claimed their documents showed that Hui joined the 2014 Occupy Central protests, but Hui denied being in Hong Kong at that time.

Hui was detained for two hours and then deported, ostensibly also due to internal security reasons.

“I don’t understand how I create threats to Macau’s internal security,” he said.

Several Hong Kong lawmakers, district councillors and other pro-democracy figures had been denied entry to Macau prior to Zhang’s visit.