HONG KONG – The man nicknamed Hong Kong’s “Father of Democracy” said that Beijing is trying to take control of the semi-autonomous city with an impending national security law, but that violent protest is not the answer. “This is clearly a pretext for Beijing to assert comprehensive control over Hong Kong, as they said they would six years ago,” longtime activist and former lawmaker Martin Lee said in an interview on Friday.
The national security law, which could be approved in Beijing this weekend, is aimed at curbing secessionist, subversive, terrorist and foreign interference that Beijing says fueled the monthslong anti-government protests in Hong Kong.