(upbeat music)

- China has imposed asweeping new security law

tightening its grip on Hong Kong.

Christians, politicians,pro-democracy activists

have all been arrested.

Scores are fleeing the city,others are hiding underground.

- So how is the Churchin Hong Kong responding

to this persecution?

Well, George Thomas brings us the story.

- As Hongkongers see it isa totally different place

than it was two years ago.

- [George] Pastor ButchTanner moved here from Texas

in 2017 to lead KowloonInternational Baptist Church.

(people shouting)

Then in June, 2019,antigovernment protests erupted

over a controversial extradition law

plunging the city into monthsof chaos and bloodshed.

♪ Come all you weary ♪

- [George] Tanner's churchbecame a place for healing.

- We would have actually police officers,

plus we would haveprotestors that would gather

in our building and praytogether and sing together.

- The protests have since died down,

but fear now looms over the city's future

as China's grip on Hong Kong tightens,

six months after imposing a sweeping

new national security law.

- We have a lot of fear inHong Kong among the people.

There's a lot of fear

that things are not going tosettle down or be anywhere near

the normal that they used to be.

- [George] And thatfear is being realized.

On January 6th, more than1000 Hong Kong police officers

raided 73 differentlocations across the city

arresting 53 politicians,pro democracy leaders,

human rights activists and others.

Lam Cheuk Ting was one ofthe lawmakers arrested.

He captured the momentpolice barged into his home.

- [Translator] You aresuspected the violating

the national security law,subverting state power.

- [George] Chris Patten,Hong Kong's last governor

says what's happening inthe city is nothing short

of China's brutal destructionof a free society.

- And this is a further turningof the screw in Hong Kong,

A further attempt to destroythe freedoms of a city

which has thrived under the rule of law.

- Also arrested JohnClancey an American priest

turned lawyer, who nowfaces prison for challenging

China's authoritarian rule over the city.

Authorities have also routed up Christians

including Joshua Wong, aprominent activist seen

in this picture enteringprison in early December.

Later that month two Catholicnuns were also arrested.

- If they think they canactually look up the idea

of freedom and democracy forever,

they're kidding themselves.

The truth is they're absolutely terrified

of what liberal democracies stand for.

- Reports estimate morethan 300,000 Hongkongers

are planning to flee thecity in coming months.

Several pastors have alreadyleft the city by the way,

and others have gone underground

as the wave of persecution grows, Gordon.

- George, I remember Hong Kong,

it was one of my favoritecities when I lived in Asia.

The atmosphere was absolutely vibrant.

What's the atmosphere there now?

- Yeah, Gordon, it has changeddramatically, you know.

Put into context for your viewers.

In 1997, when the Britsagreed to hand China

back to Hong Kong, theymade a 50-year agreement,

that in 1997 they would handHong Kong back to China,

and up until 2047 Hong Kong would be this,

you know this very well, this one country,

two systems of governance,

and that was working very well.

It has been and has beenthriving, commerce, economy

and all kinds of tradeand so forth, political

and so forth has flourished in that city.

But then two years ago when China said

that it was going to pass thiscontroversial extradition law

that basically said thatanybody who commits a crime

in Hong Kong for whateverreason will have to go

to mainland China to stand trial.

Well you can imagine Hongkongers said,

"No way, your system ofjurisprudence on the mainland

"is abysmal and we don'ttrust the court system,"

and that led to the massive protest.

And today what we have seen, you know,

Hongkongers who thoughtthat they had till 2047

to enjoy this one countrytwo systems of governance

got a rude awakening two years ago.

And at the beginningof about six months ago

they passed the sweeping new security law

that basically makes Hong Kong officially

like any other city in China today.

Which has sent, you know,

it's been a politicalearthquake across the city.

- Well, I think the wholeworld is getting a taste

of what Orwellian culture can be.

And specifically a surveillance culture

where they're now pushingto even have cameras

in all classrooms.

What can you tell us about that?

- It's similar pattern that you're seeing

in the last 10, 15 years in China.

China has really found a wayto use artificial intelligence

to be able to prettymuch blanket the entire,

their own country, theentire country of China

with facial recognition,software and cameras

all around the place.

You've seen them as you'vegone to China over the years,

and the same thing'shappening in Hong Kong.

They wanna put these cameras

in schools to monitor whatteachers are saying, Gordon,

so that if they, you know,if there's any criticism

against the Hong Konggovernment, any criticism

against Beijing, against Xi Jinping,

that you will be chargedunder the so-called subversion

of state authority, thatyou are a threat against

the system of governance, against Beijing.

Again, this is another exampleof what is happening today

in Hong Kong and has been happening

in China over the last10, 15 years, longer.

But the crackdown is moreintense as we have seen

since Xi Jinping took thereins of power of China.

- Well, the past fewyears have certainly seen

a crackdown on Christianity within China,

with destroying churches,taking down crosses.

Is that in store for Hong Kong?

- Certainly is Gordon, absolutely.

I mean, the pastors that I have spoken to

they're preparing, they're preparing

for it and they've seen it already.

Those, incidentally, thosechurches that took part

in the protest and perhapsthey provided, you know,

a tent so that both policeand protestors can come,

they provided doctors.

They didn't necessarily actively engage,

but they were the handsand feet of the Church.

Today those churches and the pastors

of those congregations are under pressure.

They have gone underground.

Some of them have left,

as I mentioned in the report, Gordon,

some of them have left the city.

They estimate that in the next few months

over 300,000 Hongkongers areplanning to leave the city.

But the Church is ready.

They said they will continueto preach the gospel,

come what may they know that this message

of the good news of JesusChrist needs to be preached

whatever the circumstances.

And they see their brothersand sisters, over 70 years

of persecution, how thechurch in China has continued

to grow and they aretaking a page, so to speak,

from their brothers andsisters on the mainland.

- Well, it's going to be areal change for Hong Kong,

Christians were the heroesduring the SARS outbreak.

Christian doctors puttheir lives on the line.

Christian churches puttheir lives on the line

caring for the sick.

What a huge change.

Well, we have a viewerquestion from Instagram.

"What has happened to the United Nations?

"And why is there nota driving force coming

"against this sort of thing?"

- Yeah, (chuckles), what hashappened to the United Nations?

That is a good question, Beth.

I mean, really, I thinkwhat we are going to see

under this new administrationled by President Biden

is a completely different approach.

When Donald Trump was the president

he went to the U.N. andbasically said that, you know,

this idea that the UnitedStates is going to be governed

by a global community,by a global organization,

heck no, that's not gonna happen.

He talked about, you know, America first

and pursuing things thatwere in our interest,

beyond just the interestof the United Nations.

We are going to see a seatchange and we saw it already,

the fact that the U.S. has now rejoined

the World Health Organization,

has rejoined the Paris agreement,

and it's going to havea different approach.

This White House isgonna have a completely

different approach as itrelates to interactions

with the United Nationsand the various bodies.

Keep in mind, this is a body,the U.N. Human Rights body

that includes folks like Cubaand Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

overseeing the issues of human rights.

Like, are you kidding me?

So again, this administrationunder Joe Biden

will take a very, verydifferent approach compared

to what Donald Trump didover the last four years.

- All right, well, George, thank you

for your insights.- You're welcome Gordon.

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