14 out of 16 pro-democracy activists were convicted in late May of this year, as they were found guilty of subversion. They join 31 other activists known for trying to “overthrow” the government in Hong Kong by organizing a fake election. Al Jazeera wrote that the fake election would have placed some of the group into the legislative council, in which they planned to dissolve the budget and force the top leader to step down. This case has become the biggest national security case since the Chinese imposed national security law (N.S.L.), which was implemented in Hong Kong in 2020, after many pro-democracy, anti-government protests broke out.

The N.S.L. has long been criticized by democratic governments since its implementation, as they believe it hinders political freedom. The United States Department of State declared these new laws are directly threatening U.S. interests. On the State Department’s website, they stated that “the central government imposed 2020 National Security Law to erode further the rule of law in Hong Kong and the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people in Hong Kong, as well as to harass and intimidate individuals outside of its borders” in their 2024 Hong Kong Policy Act Report.

Other nations such as Britain and Australia, as well as the E.U., have reported concern over the new security laws and the convicted activists. E.U. foreign affairs spokesperson Nabila Massrali stated, “The conviction… makes a further deterioration of fundamental freedoms and democratic participation in Hong Kong.” Australia has a personal connection to the case as dual Australian-Chinese citizen Gordon NG was among the 14 found guilty. According to ABC News, NG was granted Australian citizenship after moving to Sydney as a child. After getting convicted in Hong Kong, where he resided for 15 years, the Chinese government denied Australian officials access to NG, as Chinese law does not recognize dual citizenship. Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong confirmed the government’s concern over NG’s case and also stated, “The systemic erosion of Hong Kong’s rights, freedoms, autonomy, and democratic process has been consistently raised with China and Hong Kong regarding the N.S.L.

The United States Department of State claims these new security laws and the Chinese government will continue to arrest pro-democracy activists. These new laws directly impact universal democracy as elections in Hong Kong are continuously removed from the people. Citizens no longer have much of a say over their elected officials and how the government is run. As a pro-democracy nation, the United States should continue to support a more democratic pursuit of Hong Kong elections.