A Macau democrat was detained, according to authorities, for conspiring with foreign forces

In Macau, a gaming city administered by China, authorities said Thursday that Au Kam San, a prominent democrat, had been arrested for conspiring with foreign forces to jeopardize national security.

Au, 68, was a lawmaker for almost 20 years and is one of Macau’s most well-known democracy activists.

A suspect with the last name Au was removed from his home on Wednesday for further investigation, according to a statement from Macau’s police.

“The resident has allegedly been in contact with an anti-China organisation abroad since 2022, providing the group with large amounts of false and seditious information, for public exhibitions overseas and online,” the statement continued.

Au also attempted to “provoke hostile actions by foreign countries against Macau,” disrupt a 2024 election for Macau’s government, and incite enmity against Beijing, according to the statement.

Commentary from Au and his spouse was not immediately available.

Over the years, Au has supported democratic reforms and supported civil society efforts in the small enclave that was returned to Chinese control by the Portuguese in 1999, two years after Hong Kong, a nearby former British colony, was returned to China.

The democratic opposition has always been on the outside of strict Chinese authority in the China-ruled former Portuguese colony, in contrast to Hong Kong, where large social movements have challenged Chinese Communist Party rule in 2014 and 2019.

The rise of Macau as one of the major gambling destinations in the world, with casino revenues surpassing those of Las Vegas, has also been marred by public corruption scandals involving high-ranking officials like Ao Man Long and Ho Chio Meng.

Over the years, Au spearheaded demonstrations and denounced the government’s lack of transparency and growing social disparities, despite the city’s 680,000 residents’ gambling profits skyrocketing.

Au had been a teacher and was one of the founders of the New Macau Association and other pro-democracy organizations.

As authorities in neighboring Hong Kong continue to crack down on dissent under two sets of potent national security legislation, which have been used to imprison activists and shut down media outlets and civil society organizations, Macau has taken this action.

However, Macau’s administration has been subject to much less public scrutiny, with authorities able to implement a comprehensive set of national security regulations as early as 2009. In contrast, Hong Kong’s democrats had actively opposed Beijing’s attempts to increase control over the city since it returned to Chinese authority.

To strengthen the prohibition on foreign meddling and to align it with comparable rules in China and Hong Kong, this law was modified in 2023.