Nine arrested in alleged Hong Kong bomb plot

Pro-democracy activists say Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong fuels radicalism and violence. On Tuesday, police uncovered instruction manuals and explosive chemicals in a hostel room rented by the group Returning Valiant. According to Hong Kong officials, nine people associated with the group, including six teenagers, planned to detonate bombs in public transportation areas, street trash cans, and courts before fleeing the city. Under a sweeping Beijing national security law imposed last year, the suspects could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

What’s been happening in Hong Kong? Violence and anti-government sentiment are increasing in the region. Last week, a man stabbed a police officer in the street before killing himself, and many expressed sympathy for the attacker. Authorities say the violence proves the need for the national security law, but activists say acts of oppression such as the shutting down Apple Daily, the only pro-democracy newspaper in the city, are driving people to extremes.

Dig deeper: Read June Cheng and Erica Kwong’s report on one Hong Kong Christian’s fight for democracy.