Macao’s first national security case raises concerns over fairness a year after arrest

Macao National Security Law - (Cherry Au Hon I via AP)

When former Macao pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San was arrested in July 2025, his family and observers of the politics in the Chinese special administrative region were shocked. A year on, little is known about his case even by his daughter.

Au is the first publicly known arrest under Macao’s national security law since its 2009 enactment and critics say his case signals Beijing’s emphasis on security and intolerance of dissenting voices, even though Macao’s pro-democracy activism has never been as influential as the movement in neighboring Hong Kong.