UK, Australia, US and Canada criticise Hong Kong mass arrests

Former Democratic Party legislators Andrew Wan, left, Lam Cheuk-ting, second left, and Helena Wong, right, attend a news conference on Friday after being released on bail in Hong Kong (Kin Cheung/AP)

The foreign ministers of the UK, Australia, the US and Canada issued a joint statement on Sunday expressing “serious concern” about the arrest of 55 democracy activists and supporters in Hong Kong last week.

The arrests were by far the largest such action taken under a national security law that China imposed on the semi-autonomous territory a little more than six months ago.