Photo: HK Police

The Hong Kong Police Force's National Security Department has arrested four males aged between 15 and 47 on suspicion of conspiracy to subvert state power. The suspects are allegedly linked to an organization established in the island of Taiwan and are currently under investigation, according to local media reports. 

Chief Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah of the National Security Department said at a press conference on Thursday that the group announced its formation on social media in November last year and began recruiting members, local media RTHK reported. 

On February 15 this year, the group held an online press conference from Taipei, where it declared its action plan, proposed a provisional national flag and anthem, and expressed its intention to seek international support and provide military training to Hong Kong residents overseas. Li said that on July 1, the group held an event abroad where participants trampled on the national flag of China and the Hong Kong SAR flag and played "Glory to Hong Kong,"  a song linked to the anti-government riots in 2019.

The police arrested four individuals on Wednesday on suspicision of conspiracy to subvert state power. Among them are the organization's secretary-general, a council member, and a regular member. Electronic devices seized during searches revealed their activities in Hong Kong, including a proposal seeking US support for Hong Kong political prisoners and flags promoting separatism, Li said. 

He also noted that the group primarily operated through social media and encrypted communications, displayingclear signs of coordination and command, including regular meetings and gatherings.

This operation reveals the presence of overseas organizations that continue to disseminate messages endangering national security through social media and even direct their operatives in Hong Kong to carry out subversive acts, Li said. He also expressed concern that the youngest arrestee was only 15 years old—under 10 during the 2019 unrest—highlighting not only the impact of incitement but also the responsibility of parents to monitor their children's associations.

"It is regrettable that young offenders as immature as 15 years old are involved in the subversion case. The suspects should be aware that their group is being accused of a serious criminal offence, but this is not a game," Chu Kar-kin, a veteran commentator based in the HKSAR and member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

This suggests the Occupy Central illegal campaign in 2014 and the series of riots in 2019 have had irreversible negative effects on young generations in Hong Kong, Chu noted. 

"Now, more active legal education by approved trainers should be conducted in campuses and communities to nurture young people with correct rule of law and moral values. They should know the consequences of committing crimes related to national security," Chu said.  

The police's National Security Department remains vigilant toward such covert threats to national security and will take early action to address them. The crimes committed by the four suspects are considered serious, and the maximum penalty is life imprisonment, Li stressed.