Pro-democracy politician who lit candles for Tiananmen Square victims arrested under China's ‘chilling' new law
68-year-old Au Kam San, who has spent the past two decades as a lone dissenting voice in Macau's tightly managed legislature, now finds himself behind bars for allegedly 'colluding with foreign forces'.
According to a statement from Macau's Public Prosecutions Office, 'compulsory detention' was imposed on Au following a 'preliminary investigation' after police arrested him at his home on Wednesday.
Authorities claim Au maintained contact with an unnamed 'anti-China organisation' abroad since 2022, and accuse him of spreading 'false and seditious information' to incite hatred against the Chinese government.
The charges also allege Au attempted to disrupt Macau's 2024 leadership election and provoke 'hostile actions by foreign countries against Macau.'
'The Public Prosecutions Office will fully hold accountable those who attempt to disrupt national security,' the statement reads, promising to 'confront hostile forces to the end.'
Au Kam San, a former school teacher and founding member of several moderate pro-democracy groups, became a quiet but consistent critic of the opaque governance and social inequality in the ritzy gambling enclave.
On the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown in June 2025, Au said he lit candles in remembrance and posted on Facebook it was 'the best way I can honour the memory of the event'.
'My stance is very clear, and I am not someone who changes easily. I won't alter my approach simply because someone shows a bit more 'concern',' he wrote.
In mainland China, it is effectively illegal to speak about the Tiananmen Square massacre in any public or commemorative context. Since the 1990s, authorities have banned all public mourning, detained individuals who attempted memorials, and suppressed the memory of the event through pervasive censorship.
Even the words 'June 4' and 'Tank Man' are barred on Chinese social media.
Unlike the more combative pro-democracy figures in neighbouring Hong Kong — where mass protests in 2014 and 2019 brought international attention and brutal crackdowns — Macau's opposition has long existed on the margins.
Through the 2000s and 2010s, Au stood largely alone in Macau's Legislative Assembly, pushing back against authoritarian drift and warning of rising inequality in a city flush with casino money.
He openly criticised the handling of corruption cases involving senior officials like Ao Man Long and Ho Chio Meng, who were both jailed in high-profile graft trials.
'Chilling effect on Macau'
Jason Chao, a Macau-born activist now based in the UK, said the arrest was disproportionate.
'Au had occasionally made mildly critical online posts against the Chinese and Macau governments but nothing to warrant his arrest,' Chao said via Reuters.
'There will be a profound chilling effect on the people of Macau.'
Au's detention marks the latest episode in Beijing's relentless campaign to crush dissent under the banner of national security.
In Hong Kong, sweeping national security laws imposed in 2020 have led to the closure of newspapers like Apple Daily, the arrest of virtually all opposition lawmakers, and the effective end of its once-thriving civil society.
When local authorities still found pockets of resistance, a second, even tougher, security law was rammed through in 2024.
In 2023, Macau's security laws were expanded again to include vaguely defined threats like 'external interference' and 'provoking hatred against the government.'
Civil rights groups warned at the time that it would become a tool to stifle legitimate political expression.
Au is one of many prominent dissidents to be detained in China in recent years.
Among the most high-profile cases is that of Ilham Tohti, a respected Uyghur economist who was sentenced to life in prison for 'separatism' after promoting peaceful dialogue between Uyghurs and Han Chinese. His jailing sent a warning that even moderate calls for understanding would be treated as existential threats.
A similar message was delivered in 2023 with the 14-year sentence handed to Xu Zhiyong, a former legal scholar who led the New Citizens' Movement, a grassroots push for transparency and rule of law.
In the same year, media mogul Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, was put on trial under the national security law, accused of collusion with foreign forces in a case widely condemned by press freedom advocates.
Joshua Wong, the student activist who became the face of Hong Kong's 2014 Umbrella Movement, has also faced repeated arrests under similar charges.
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ABC News
5 hours ago
- ABC News
The alleged Chinese spy found in Canberra
Sam Hawley: This week, a Chinese woman was charged with foreign interference, in this case, accused of spying on Buddhists in Canberra. Today, foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic on the details of the case and the growing cost of foreign espionage. I'm Sam Hawley on Gadigal land in Sydney. This is ABC News Daily. News report: Australian Federal Police have charged a Chinese national with foreign interference, alleging she was trying to collect information on a Canberra-based Buddhist group for China's security agencies. News report: The Australian Federal Police alleges the woman, an Australian permanent resident, was tasked with collecting information about the Canberra branch of Guan Yin Citta. She's been charged with one count of reckless foreign interference, which carries a maximum jail term of 15 years. Stephen Nutt, AFP Assistant Commissioner: We allege the activity was to support intelligence objectives of the China's Public Security Bureau. This is the first time the AFP has charged a person with foreign interference that allegedly involves targeting members of the Australian community. Sam Hawley: Stephen, the AFP allege they have caught a spy amongst us. Now, this is a Chinese woman. What do we know so far? What are police saying? Stephen Dziedzic: Well, Sam, police are alleging that this woman is responsible for conducting, essentially what they're saying, an act of foreign interference, that she's covertly gathering information about a Canberra branch of a Buddhist association. It's not a well-known one. It's called Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door. And they say that she's been doing this since 2022, and that she's been trying to harvest information about this religious group. She's also accused of working with others to do this. So, essentially, police are saying that she's recruited other people or worked with other people who are also trying to collect information for the Chinese government in support of their intelligence activities to try and get information about this group. Now, we cannot name this woman because there's a temporary suppression order in place. But police say that she was essentially behind what was a fairly sophisticated operation to try and closely monitor this group in Canberra. Stephen Nutt, AFP Assistant Commissioner: Foreign interference is a serious crime that undermines democracy and social cohesion. It is a crime carried out by a foreign principle that involves covert and deceptive conduct or threats of serious harm or menacing demands. Sam Hawley: Mm. Alright. So, the matter has been before the court, and an Australian Federal Police informant alleged the woman was actually communicating with a Chinese security bureau. Stephen Dziedzic: That's right. So, this security bureau isn't named, but presumably it's essentially a branch of the Ministry of State Security that's responsible for both external and internal security matters in the PRC. Now, they believe that this woman's been receiving what they've called taskings or orders from this public security bureau office through an encrypted app, and that was allegedly found on the woman's phone during a raid of her house last week. Sam Hawley: Right. OK. But what else have police said about the woman's links to China? Stephen Dziedzic: Well, this woman is still a Chinese national. She's a permanent resident in Australia, but at least according to the police, she's not a citizen of Australia. There's another very interesting link that police have put out as well. They've said in court that this woman's husband, who is apparently still in China, holds a position of what they've called a vice captain in a public security ministry in a Chinese province. They haven't named that province, and they haven't named the husband either. But there's more evidence there, according to the police, of fairly deep and personal links into China's vast security apparatus. Sam Hawley: Mm. Alright. So, Stephen, she's accused of being tasked to gather information about a Buddhist association in Canberra, Guan Yin Sitta. What exactly is that, and why would China be interested in it? Stephen Dziedzic: Yeah, this is a slightly confusing question to people, perhaps, who are outside the China-watching space. But, of course, you've got to remember the broader context here. China's government's an atheistic one. It's, in some ways, quite hostile to religion. It's certainly hostile, or at least wary, of religious groups that are operating within China. This group is one that Beijing considers a cult. It's effectively, according to various sources, either banned or outlawed in China. Sam Hawley: Well, what happens in the courts now, then? Because there was some discussion, wasn't there, about whether or not she was a flight risk or not? Stephen Dziedzic: Yeah, that's right. The woman's lawyer said she should be granted bail. We also heard, incidentally, that she visited the Chinese consulate in Canberra not long after her property was raided. So, China is very well aware of this case and is presumably watching it very closely. Presumably, the consulate and the embassy would be able to get her travel documents very quickly, if she wanted them, and if the embassy wanted to help her to leave. And so, the magistrate, for a range of reasons, basically refused bail, agreeing that she could be a flight risk. And, of course, the magistrate also said that if that did happen, if she managed to leave, then there was very little chance that she would probably come back, particularly given the fact there's no bilateral extradition treaty between Australia and China. Sam Hawley: OK, so let's just leave that case there for the moment. But let's speak more broadly about the threats now against Australia that really have our agencies deeply worried, I think it's safe to say. We've had an update this week, haven't we, from Mike Burgess. He's the Director-General of ASIO. So, what's he been telling us? Stephen Dziedzic: Look, Mike Burgess has been sounding the alarm on foreign interference for a number of years, but I think his tone was even more urgent in this speech. Mike Burgess, ASIO Director-General: I believe that we as a nation need to wake up to the cost of espionage, which is more than just financial. We need to understand espionage is not some quaint romantic fiction. It's a real, present and costly danger. Stephen Dziedzic: Mr Burgess said that China, Iran and Russia are three of the countries that are behind espionage, but he also said that Australians would be, quote, shocked by the number and also the names of the other countries that were also employing similar tactics. Mike Burgess, ASIO Director-General: The obvious candidates are very active. I've previously named China, Russia and Iran, but many other countries are also targeting anyone and anything that could give them strategic or tactical advantage. These countries want to covertly comprehend our political decision-making and policy priorities, including our alliances and partnerships. Stephen Dziedzic: Mr Burgess said there'd been 24 significant espionage and foreign interference operations that have been disrupted in the past three years alone. He said that was more than the previous eight. And he said that nation-states are spying at what he called unprecedented levels with unprecedented sophistication. Mike Burgess, ASIO Director-General: ASIO estimates the threat from espionage will only intensify. It is already more serious and sophisticated than ever before. So our response must also be more serious and sophisticated than ever before. Sam Hawley: And he obviously didn't name those other nations that we'd be shocked about. Stephen Dziedzic: He didn't, no. I mean, it is worth noting... Sam Hawley: Intriguing. Stephen Dziedzic: ...There has been public reporting about other countries engaging in espionage in Australia, including countries very friendly with Australia, including India. So it's not surprising, in a sense, that countries that are friendly to Australia, even close partners, might engage in espionage. But Mr Burgess is obviously convinced the problem's getting worse. Sam Hawley: Sure. And not only that, it's costing us a huge amount of money, isn't it? Stephen Dziedzic: Yeah, $12.5 billion, according to Mr Burgess. Sam Hawley: That's a year. Stephen Dziedzic: That's in the 2023-24 financial year alone. Not only that, he said that was probably an underestimate, probably a huge underestimate, because it's not capturing all of the espionage that's gone undeclared, undiscovered, and is largely unwatched. So he says that the true bill could be even higher. Of course, it's worth remembering this bill is not just, for example, information stolen. It's also the money that the federal government has to plough into organisations like ASIO in order to ward off foreign interference and espionage. But it is, yes, an eye-watering figure, even if it is a conservative estimate. Sam Hawley: And he did give some rather fascinating details, Stephen, about how far spies have actually gone to try to steal classified and commercially sensitive information. Just tell me about that. Stephen Dziedzic: Yeah, there was one fascinating little anecdote he told. He mentioned what he called a sensitive horticultural research facility in Australia that was not that long ago, apparently, paid a visit by a foreign delegation from an unnamed country. And apparently, one of the members of this delegation was caught trying to take photos of sensitive research. That was stopped, and apparently, the images were deleted. But then that same official then apparently snapped branches off what Mr Burgess calls a rare and valuable variety of fruit tree in order to steal them. Mike Burgess, ASIO Director-General: The delegate had snapped them off and smuggled them out of Australia. Almost certainly, the stolen plant material allowed scientists in the other country to reverse engineer and replicate two decades of Australian research and development. Stephen Dziedzic: So, horticultural spying is probably... You know, it's a long way from a James Bond film, but Mr Burgess is saying this is a real example of what people are getting up to. Sam Hawley: The Chinese woman we spoke about previously, she was arrested under these foreign interference laws. Now, they haven't been in place for that long, have they? But it's the third time that they've actually been used. Just tell me about that. Stephen Dziedzic: That's right. 2018, they were introduced into law, and this is only the third time they've been used. The other two cases that we've seen before, a Victorian man who was charged in November 2020 and then subsequently found guilty, a New South Wales man charged in April 2023, they were facing very different allegations. In the case of the Victorian man, it was essentially political interference, trying to build up links with political figures in Australia that could be then exploited by the Chinese government. In the other case, the allegation is that information was being collected to feed back again to the Chinese government. This is different. This is about... This is actually a woman who's facing a charge of directly spying on and trying to gather information about Australians in Australia. Not only that, she's also a foreign national. The other two people who've been charged previously were both Australian citizens. So, in that sense, this is a bit of a landmark case. And unsurprisingly, the government has been keen to pounce on it. Tony Burke, the Home Affairs Minister, said immediately afterward that the government's message to people who were trying to threaten or interfere with the Australian community was very clear, quote, "'Our law enforcement and intelligence agencies will find you.'" Sam Hawley: Yeah, our spies will find your spies. Right. OK. So, from your reporting, Stephen, is it clear whether or not the threat from China is actually getting worse at this point? Do we know? Stephen Dziedzic: We don't know for sure, but all of the anecdotal evidence points to the fact it is getting worse. That is reflected not just in the language of people like Mike Burgess, but also, I think, in the language that the government uses, including privately when it discusses the scale of the threat. China has many reasons to spy on Australia. Of course, and as we know, it's not just China. It's broader than that. But as the sort of most well-resourced and high-profile country, it's worth zeroing in. There are many reasons for China to target Australia. And as it finds itself under increasingly acute pressure from the Trump administration, there are more incentives for China to look to gain what advantage it can from other Western nations. So, if you look at both the international dynamics driving this, the geostrategic dynamics, as well as the increasingly authoritarian internal dynamics within China, there are an awful lot of reasons to think that this might continue to get worse before it gets any better. Sam Hawley: And none of that really bodes well, does it, for the relationship with China, which had seemed to be improving after Anthony Albanese's trip there. Stephen Dziedzic: Yeah, that's true. But the government seems confident that it can balance these two things quite deftly. I mean, at some point, you're right. The gap between rhetoric and reality becomes unbridgeable and things may well start to break down. But I'm stealing a phrase here from Richard McGregor from the Lowy Institute, but it's a good one. Australia and China are basically embracing whilst fighting at the moment. On the one hand, you've got a roaring commercial relationship. On the other hand, you've also got this shadowy contest in the foreign interference space with both China and Australia pouring more and more resources into their intelligence agencies behind the scenes. But Australia remains comfortable that it can walk this very fine line with China, which is, of course, both our largest trading partner and our largest source of security anxiety. And this case, as well as what we've heard from Mike Burgess over recent days, illustrates that very, very powerfully. Sam Hawley: Stephen Dziedzic is the ABC's foreign affairs reporter. This episode was produced by Sydney Pead. Audio production by Sam Dunn. Our supervising producer is David Coady. I'm Sam Hawley. Thanks for listening.
ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
Donald Trump imposes an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods over Russian oil imports
Donald Trump has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports as a punishment for the country importing Russian oil, which is a key revenue maker for Moscow's war in Ukraine. The tariff is set to take effect in three weeks and would be added on top of a separate 25 per cent tariff entering into force on Thursday. It maintains exemptions for items targeted by separate sector-specific duties, such as steel and aluminium, and categories that could be hit like pharmaceuticals. The White House said Mr Trump signed an executive order implementing the move on Wednesday, US time. India is yet to comment on the move. It previously described Mr Trump's threats to impose the additional levy as unjustified. Relations between Washington and New Delhi have deteriorated in recent weeks, with a trade agreement yet to be signed between the two countries. India has become a major buyer of Russian oil, providing a much-needed export market for Moscow after it was cut off from traditional buyers in Europe because of the war. The reshaping of energy ties has saved India billions of dollars while bolstering Moscow's coffers. India argued it "began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict". ABC/wires
The Australian
9 hours ago
- The Australian
PM accused of ‘weakness' as China, Russia team up in the Indo-Pacific
The opposition says China and Russia are 'testing' Australia with joint naval drills in the Western Pacific due to Anthony Albanese's 'weakness' on defence. China and Russia are carrying out joint patrols in the Western Pacific after wrapping up five days of war games near Vladivostok – a coastal military hub in Russia's far east that is home to the country's Pacific fleet. Crews executed live fire drills and practised taking out enemy submarines, according to the Chinese military. While some vessels have headed back to their home ports, others have gone on to prowl in international waters, including some of China's most advanced battleships. 'Crews of the Russian Navy and China's PLA Navy will form a new task group to carry out joint patrol missions in the Asia-Pacific region,' Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing defence officials. Beijing's mouthpieces have framed the patrols as 'jointly countering security threats' and a testament to 'deepening of China-Russia military ties'. Chinese and Russian warships have carried out joint live fire drills in the Indo-Pacific. Picture: Chinese Ministry of Defence / Handout 'The routine joint maritime patrol in the region not only showcases the two navies' capabilities, but also demonstrates their firm determination in safeguarding regional peace and stability, deterring potential security threats, and creating a favourable environment for peaceful development in the region,' according to the Global Times, a leading propaganda outlet for the Chinese Communist Party. Doing its best to imitate a Western-style publication, the Global Times is often used to circulate the CCP's various pet peeves and routinely takes scathing shots at Australia. But however Chinese state media has spun the joint operations, the opposition says it is anything but innocent and the Prime Minister is, at least in part, to blame. 'China and Russia are flexing their muscles in the region and testing democratic nations with their 'no-limits' partnership,' acting opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie told NewsWire. 'While concerning, this is not surprising. They are testing us because they see weakness in Prime Minister Albanese. 'The Prime Minister has set a dangerous precedent by repeatedly refusing to stand up for our Australian Defence Force. 'Australia must show strength, and we're not seeing it from Labor.' Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles did not respond to a request for comment on the patrols or naval exercises. Chinese and Russian battleships are prowling international waters after five days of war games. Picture: China Daily / Handout China's Shaoxing and Urumqi destroyers are among the ships out on patrol. Entering service in 2022 and 2018, they are prized examples of China's most recent wave of naval modernisation and fitted with the latest military hardware. Their vertical launch systems can fire a smorgasbord of guided weapons, including long-range surface-to-air missiles. They are also equipped with anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles and anti-submarine capabilities. Russia's Admiral Tributs, a large anti-submarine destroyer, is also partaking in the patrols. They come a day after the Albanese government announced it picked a Japanese firm to build Australia's new fleet of 'next-generation' warships in record time. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build 11 Mogami-class frigates to replace the ANZAC-class fleet, which the Navy has been operating since World War II. Australia is expected to get its first Japanese-built frigate by 2029 and its third by 2034, with the remaining eight to be built in Western Australia. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin inked a 'no limits' strategic partnership shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine. Picture: Chinese Ministry of Defence / Handout But, like the AUKUS submarines, the delivery timeline is still well after when the US expects a conflict in the Indo-Pacific. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year warned of an 'imminent' threat to the region, pointing to Taiwan as a flashpoint. With the People's Liberation Army simulating invasions, he told the Shangri-La Dialogue that China could move on the democratically self-governing island as early as 2027. On the sidelines of the conference, he also urged the Albanese government to hike Australia's military spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP in a meeting with Mr Marles. Mr Albanese and Mr Marles have firmly pushed back on the request, saying it has already committed record billions to mid and long-term defence projects, such as AUKUS. Analysts from Brussels to Canberra have long-warned of Beijing and Moscow forging stronger defence ties. The allies signed a 'no-limits' strategic partnership shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Xi Jinping has not publicly backed Vladimir Putin's war, but China has pumped hundreds of billions into the Russian economy, undermining international sanctions.
