Chinese General Appointed to Oversee Garrison in Hong Kong

Chinese Major General Peng Jingtang, current deputy chief of staff of China's People's Armed Police and former Chief of Staff of the Xinjiang Armed Police Corps, has been appointed by President Xi Jinping to lead the People Liberation Army's (PLA) garrison in HongKong. Peng has previously overseen counterterrorism and mass surveillance operations throughout Xinjiang, where human rights organizations and western nations accuse China of committing human rights abuses against Uyghur ethnic minorities. Pro-democracy leaders in Hong Kong fear that his presence may include a greater crackdown on their activities and greater enforcement of the National Security Law.