China appears to be taking a hard line against democracy activists in Macau, with police there raiding five polling stations of an unofficial referendum on Macau’s chief executive election, South China Morning Post reported, citing a spokesperson from the New Macau Association. Scott Chiang Meng-hin, a key member of the association, and Jason Chao Teng-hei, leader of the Open Macau Society, were amongst the five activists detained and later released by police. “The crackdown was unexpectedly high-handed. It perfectly illustrates how much [Beijing’s] liaison office fears an awakening of the typically apolitical Macau public” said Bill Chou Kwok-ping, vice-president of the New Macau Association.