On July 31, authorities in Macau announced the arrest of pro-democracy activist Au Kam San, suspected of violating the region’s national security law.
This marks the first arrest under the national security law of the Chinese semi-autonomous region, which came into effect in 2009 and was expanded in 2023.
The case was not on the agenda during today’s meeting between Luís Montenegro and Macau’s Chief Executive, Sam Hou Fai, although the Prime Minister assured that it has not been forgotten.
“It wasn’t part of our conversation, but it is a matter, among others, that we are monitoring and that we promote with necessary discretion,” Montenegro told journalists.
“Some issues deserve some discretion in their handling, and this is one of them,” the Prime Minister stated, while visiting Macau with a delegation including Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.
On August 2, two days after Au Kam San’s arrest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it “is monitoring this issue through the Consulate-General of Portugal in Macau.”
“The matter will receive the utmost attention from Portuguese authorities, notably in future political discussions, in the spirit of the Joint Declaration,” added Lisbon’s diplomatic representatives.
The ministry led by Rangel referred to the Sino-Portuguese treaty signed in 1987, which calls for the preservation of rights, freedoms, and guarantees in Macau for a period of 50 years.
“[The Joint Declaration] assigns responsibilities to all, and we stand ready to fulfill ours and, naturally, to request compliance from others,” said Luís Montenegro.
The Prime Minister argued that Macau “is a good example of how it was possible to organize a transition process, safeguard the most significant interests present, and contribute to economic and social development.”
According to official data, Macau’s economy has grown nearly eightfold over the past 25 years, while the unemployment rate decreased from 6.6% at the time of the transition to 2% last July, despite a 56.6% increase in population.
“The numbers, while not telling the whole story, are a good indicator for us to gauge the economic and social success of this journey and process,” Montenegro said.
However, the Prime Minister acknowledged that the process “is not without tensions, not without obstacles,” but added that the relationship with Macau “has borne fruit, despite having its problems.”
