Candidate pulls out of Hong Kong lawyers' group election over safety fears

A council member of a professionalgroupof solicitors inHongKongon Saturday dropped his bid to seek re-electionnext week, citingfearsfor hissafetyand that of his family.

Tuesday'selections to the Law Society, a professional body and regulator for 12,000 solicitors, come as critics say the legal system in the global financial hub faces pressure from a China-imposed national security law.

Although officials inHongKongand Beijing have rejected these concerns, the normally low-key polls have drawn unusual levels of scrutiny from pro-Beijing media and senior city officials.

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Beijing has been tightening its controloverHongKong, China's freest city since Britain returned the former colony in 1997.

A national security law last year sent a chill across the city, however, and led to the arrest of dozens of pro-democracy politicians and activists, as well as the disbandment of a teachers' union and some civil rightsgroups.

"For mysafetyand thesafetyof my family I am announcing my intention to withdraw my name ascandidate," the lawyer, Jonathan Ross, said in a statement, withoutspecifying the risks impelling what is seen as a rare step.

"It is a shameful and sad day forHongKongthat anelectionfor the council of our honourable institution has sunk to this level."

Ross declined further comment to Reuters.

A government spokesman told Reuters in response to emailed questions: "Anyone who has reasons to believe that his or hersafetyis threatened may approach the police for assistance."

The Law Society did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the Law Society is seen as more conservative than the barristers' Bar Association, both bodies have traditionally had a watchdog roleoverlegal changes, and are represented on a panel that recommends judges' appointments.

Four of the 11candidates vying for five council seats in Tuesday'selectionare considered relativelyoutspoken, which has raisedfearsamong some government officials of an emerging political agenda.

The Law Societyelectionhas rarely made international news but has grabbed headlines in recent days, as pro-Beijing media andHongKongofficials have warned thegroupto stayoutof politics.

HongKong's government would consider cutting ties with the Law Society if it were to be "trumped by politics",HongKongChief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday.

Some lawyers said Ross' move was rare for a generally low-profilegroupdrawn from solicitors in the commercial sector, calling it a sign of the tension in the city.

China's People Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, has said the Law Society should not become a "politicisedgroup", and has called the Bar Association a "running rat".

When Beijing regained control ofHongKong, it guaranteed extensive social and commercial freedoms would remain under a "one country, two systems" model.Fearsthat those freedoms were under threat sparked months of sometimes violent protests in the city in 2019.