Hong Kong riot supporter Jimmy Lai (center) leaves the Kowloon City police station in Hong Kong on June 26 after being arrested for taking part in an unauthorized assembly on August 31, 2019. Photo: AFP

Following the arrest of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, key anti-government figure and founder of secessionist Apple Daily tabloid, the Hong Kong Police Force has taken into custody secessionists Wilson Li and Andy Li on Monday for promoting so-called "Stand with Hong Kong" slogan in instigating secessionism.  

Wilson Li, an ITV freelancer and a former member of secessionist group Scholarism, and Andy Li, Chairman of the Independent Election Observation Mission to Hong Kong and founder of "Hong Kong Story" were arrested Monday afternoon. 

Local media outlets reported that the two are suspected of being responsible for the operation of an online group, Lanchao, with the slogan "Stand with Hong Kong," which reportedly received foreign funds to support its secessionist campaign, especially from the US government until this June. 

According to its fundraising website, the group "incidentally" addressed a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at an early stage. 

Lanchao's members who are overseas, recently joined the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition on China Policy (IPAC), which was formed by a group of Western lawmakers in June and aimed at confronting China's growing geopolitical prowess amid international concerns over its decision to adopt the national security law in Hong Kong, as well as criticism of China for the COVID-19 pandemic, according to US media. 

In its most recent post, it vowed to facilitate the independent investigation report of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Hong Kong.

In November last year, "Hong Kong Story", another pro-secession organization, even invited 19 foreign experts from 10 countries to form a monitoring team to observe the District Council elections in Hong Kong and communicate with candidates. 

Andy Li, a member of "Hong Kong Story", described the riots in Hong Kong as "a humanitarian catastrophe" and sought help from the international community in pressuring Chinese authorities. 

On November 24, 2013, former Scholarism member Wilson Li was involved in attacking the police line when then Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying attended a district consultation forum on the Policy Address and the Budget at Shatin Government Secondary School. 

Li pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful assembly, and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service on January 7, 2016. 

On March 20, 2016, Scholarism announced it was disbanding. In November, Li and 12 other assistants were permanently banned from the Legislative Council Building and blacklisted by The Legislative Council Commission. 

As of 10 pm, at least 10 people were arrested on Monday, including Lai, his two sons and senior officials of Next Media, on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces and violating the national security law.