Hong Kong arrests show that no one can put themselves above the law: China Daily editorial

Since they committed what they are accused of in front of the media cameras and the public's eyes, the arrests of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of the newspaper Apple Daily, and ex-lawmakers Lee Cheuk-yan and Yeung Sum on Friday morning have not come as a surprise to many. The trio, who have been released on bail, participated in an illegal assembly on Aug 31 last year, and Lai also openly intimidated a reporter during a public event in June 2017.

Still, some have questioned what they view as a "lack of political acumen" because of what they consider the "poor timing" of the arrests, as the Hong Kong police are facing a massive smear campaign launched and perpetuated by members of the opposition camp in Hong Kong and their foreign patrons — not least biased mainstream Western media outlets.

This politicized campaign vilifies police officers for having dutifully carried out their duties to protect lives and property, maintain order and uphold the law during the months-long riots that have plagued the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since June last year.

But it is this "lack of political acumen" that demonstrates the robustness of the rule of law in the SAR. It proves that politics plays no part in Hong Kong's law enforcement.

The vast political energy and influence Lai, Lee and Yeung wield over Hong Kong as the bigwigs in the opposition camp have not saved them from being held accountable to the law. The law enforcement actions against the trio reinforce the fact that the law applies to everyone; that no one is above the law.

As widely expected, members of the opposition camp in Hong Kong and their foreign patrons have wasted no time in lashing out at the police force, accusing them of "abusing the power of arrest". Their accusations are not only baseless, but also expose their hypocrisy.

Over the years, opposition politicians in Hong Kong have been peddling their political ideas under the guise of "democracy" or "safeguarding the city's core values", one of which is its rule of law. Yet their reactions to the arrests of the three lay bare their contempt for the rule of law.

Indeed, members of the opposition camp have, without fail, challenged almost every law enforcement action of the Hong Kong police, regardless of how strong and convincing the evidence is against the lawbreakers, as long as the offender is from their own camp. For them, the notion of rule of law is just a handy tool to gild their political maneuvers.