Ah government minister said they were detained for planning to quote, paralyzed and overthrow the city government.

It is the Chinese territory's biggest crackdown yet on the opposition.

Under a new security law imposed by Beijing.

The dawn raids mark a sharp escalation of Hong Kong's crackdown on the opposition.

Dozens of prominent pro democracy campaigners were arrested at private homes, law firms and media outlets.

Former lawmaker Lam Cheuk ting recorded the moment police arrived at his house how the arrests have left some residents stunned.

So I think I'm thinking right now I'm just leaving Hong Kong and with the other country are they so I feel very unhappy and it seems that even during the pandemic the government can still do so many things to terrorize people.

E.

But Beijing denied it was clamping down on dissidents.

The normal rights and freedoms enjoyed by the Hong Kong people have not been affected.

What may be affected is the freedom of some external forces and individuals to collude with each other to attempt to undermine China's stability and security.

When think entrant the damage on C O R E.

The detainees stand accused of trying to overthrow the government after they held unofficial primaries last July to field candidates ahead of elections toe Hong Kong's Legislative Council.

Under the one country, two systems policy, Hong Kong was given greater autonomy when it was handed back to China from Britain in 1997.

The agreement expires in 2047 but one pro democracy activist told D.

W that Beijing security law has rendered that agreement meaningless.

All the arrests and all the crackdown following the implementation off the off the law is actually ah violation off the joint British Sino British joint decoration on the Basic Law itself.

So I'd say all the freedoms that are guaranteed under the Basic Law and under international treaties are gone.

Activists are calling Wednesday sweeping arrests and attempt to further weaken the opposition ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for September.

For more on the story, we can speak now to Lee Cheuk yan, Hong Kong politician and social activist.

He's joining us from Hong Kong.

Mr Lee, we've seen more than 50 arrests in one day.

What impact does this have on the territory's pro democracy movement?

This again is the tactics off the Chinese government regime to rule by fear in Hong Kong.

And it's so absurd.

Imagine political party off the world want to have a majority in the Legislative Council, and primary election is something very normal.

So what they're charging thes 53 activists participation participant off the primary election waas that you know, we together we try to have a primary election, and the primary election is to get the majority and to get in the majority is undermining the government.

So it's so absurd because all the all party want to do that and everything is allowed under the Basic Law and local law and 600,000 people have participated in the as a voter turnout.

So is a widely supported, uh, primary election exercise.

And now the you call it, you know, subversion.

It is not really It's very clear that they they they're trying to cast a very wide net off arrest so that toe terrorize people and also to cleanse out the opposition as they're casting a wide net.

I should say, Mr Lee yourself for a politician and an activist, you were arrested last year.

Have you considered leaving Hong Kong, though I will never leave Hong Kong because way want to fight in Hong Kong for the right of people, for democracy.

And we believe that the people of Hong Kong will not be silenced by this.

All these ridiculous act off arrest and we will continue the fight.

And what What actually we're fighting for is democracy and freedom.

And this is actually good also for China and why they are trying to suppress us.

Because they are the dictator ship regime that would not would want everything under control and would not allow any a balance and power in any society.

So is, uh they are now setting out the people Hong Kong when off their promises off high autonomy, the promises off one country, two system the Sino British joint decoration.

All these are being betrayed.

And what we want, it actually is.

Stick to what was promised to us.

Okay, so you know, we spoke to an activist a little bit earlier.

As you call China a dictatorship regime.

This activist told us that there are essentially no freedoms left under the Basic Law in Hong Kong.

Do you agree?

What is left of those freedoms.

Actually, no one knows what it was left off the freedom because, you know, like teachers trying to teach the students they're disqualified as the teachers When we go out to march for democracy and free freedom, We are now being arrested for some, uh, inciting, uh, illegal assembly when the way the pro democracy camp, uh, you know, organize the primary election.

They called it subversion.

And when Jimmy Lai, the owner off apple daily, uh, you know, treats out there his comments on Hong Kong situation he waas charged with collusion with a foreign power.

So we actually do not know what is left off our freedom and because, uh, all when we try to exercise them, you know we have consequences.

But right, no matter what, we will stay on.

And no matter what, we will try toe continue to exercise our freedom promised under the Basic Law.

Even though there may be consequences, we will have to leave it there.

Lee Cheuk Yan, Hong Kong pro democracy activist.

Thank you very much for joining us Sunday.