Arrests, disqualifications fuel purge fears in HK

Leading Hong Kong democracy campaigners were disqualified yesterday from upcoming elections after four student activists were arrested for social media posts, sparking warnings of a new "terror" under authoritarian China.

The moves were the latest blows against the semi-autonomous city's democracy movement, which has been under sustained attack from China's Communist Party rulers.

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China imposed a national security law last month on Hong Kong outlawing subversion, which it warned was a "sword" hanging over the head of democracy protesters.

In some of the most significant developments since the law was imposed, 12 democracy activists were disqualified yesterday from legislative elections due to be held in September.

"Beijing shows a total disregard for the will of the Hongkongers, tramples upon the city's... autonomy," Joshua Wong, one of Hong Kong's highest-profile activists who was among those disqualified, wrote in a tweet. Wong described the move as "the biggest-ever crackdown" on the city's pro-democracy movement.

In a statement Hong Kong's government listed political views that required disqualification -- including criticising Beijing's new security law, campaigning to win a legislation-blocking majority and refusing to recognise China's sovereignty.

Chris Patten, Britain's last colonial governor in Hong Kong, accused Beijing of carrying out "an outrageous political purge". "It is obviously now illegal to believe in democracy... This is the sort of behaviour that you would expect in a police state," he added.