Arrests Aimed At Those Behind 'evil Plan', Says Govt

Security Secretary John Lee said on Wednesday that the police's mass arrests earlier in the day targeted "active elements" who had an "evil plan" aimed at paralysing Hong Kong.

Dozens of former lawmakers and activists were detained under the national security law in connection with primary polls the pro-democracy camp held last year to select candidates for Legco elections that never materialised.

Lee said those arrested were suspected of subversion, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

"The suspects in the case had plotted an evil plan to paralyse the SAR government," the minister explained.

"Through a so-called 35-plus plan and ten-step mutual destruction, they plotted to, through their concerted so-called primaries and after getting the majority in Legco, veto the budget no matter what, that was the only thing in their minds," Lee said.

He added that other things they had in mind included "mobilising large-scale riots in the streets, together with other actions to, in some way, paralyse society."

Lee told reporters at Legco that the police were targeting "active elements" involved in the "plot", but not the hundreds of thousands of Hongkongers who had voted in the primaries.

The Basic Law states that the Chief Executive must resign in the event that she has to dissolve the legislature because it refuses to pass her administration's budget and then a new legislature votes the spending plan down again.