Elizabeth Tang, a longtime labor activist, arrested by Hong Kong security officers

Tang is the current general secretary of the International Domestic Workers Federation. And the previous chief executive of the now-defunct Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU). By doing so, the city state’s administration has charged her with “endangering national security.”

Hong Kong police arrested veteran union leader Elizabeth Tang on Thursday according to a source close to the couple.

Who is Elizabeth Tang?

Tang represents the International Domestic Workers Federation as a labour activist. She was formerly an executive for the defunct Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Union.

CTU was the largest opposition trade union in Hong Kong, which was disbanded in 2021, due to security threats.

Tang was detained for an unknown reason. Though some media reports cited sources who claimed Tang is suspected of “colluding with foreign forces.”

Why was Tang’s husband imprisoned?

Tangs husband, Lee Cheuk- yan, is well known pro- democracy activist. Lee also was the previous leader of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. Which decided to dissolve itself in 2021 after the security legislation took effect.

The alliance is best known for planning mass candlelight vigils in Hong Kong on the occasion. Supporters claim that its closure demonstrates how the freedoms Hong Kong was promised when it returned to Chinese control in 1997 are deteriorating.

However, after the Chinese government passed the security law, the coalition decided to break up in 2021.

In 2021, Lee and two other former alliance leaders—Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho—were detained and charged under the security low with inciting the overthrow of the government. The union was accused of being subversive. Lee is now in police detention.

Restrictions on free speech

Under a national security law Beijing passed in 2020 in response to widespread pro-democracy demonstrations the city-state witnessed a year earlier, over 230 people, including opposition activists and politicians, have been imprisoned or charged in Hong Kong.

Some Western governments have criticized the strict legislation as a tactic to stifle dissent and free speech in Hong Kong.

The National Security Law makes it illegal to collaborate with foreign forces to meddle in local matters and to secession, subversion, terrorism, and other offences. If proven guilty, the penalty could be life in prison.

Jimmy Lai, the publisher of a pro-democracy publication, is also charged with collusion.

On Monday, the United Nations’ Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural rights urged Chinese and Hong Kong autahorities to review the security legislation, and expressed concern over a trade union ordinance which it said had been used to “hamper the exercise of the rights to freely organize trade unions”.

Both the Hong Kong and Chinese governments have responded by claiming that the legislation has brought stability to the city and have refuted claims that it has been used to silence dissent or target democratic opposition.