Hong Kong police have offered a reward of HK$1 million (£103,000; $129,000) for information leading to the arrests of six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada, including Tony Chung, the former leader of a pro-independence group who fled to the UK last year.
The activists, who also include a former district councillor, an actor, and a YouTuber, have been campaigning for more democracy in Hong Kong.
They are accused of violating the city’s national security law, which criminalizes actions such as inciting secession and colluding with foreign forces.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the move, urging Hong Kong authorities to stop targeting individuals overseas who advocate for freedom and democracy.
“We will not tolerate any attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas, especially in the UK,” Lammy stated, adding that the UK would continue supporting those from Hong Kong who have relocated to the country.
Among those on the wanted list are former district councillor Carmen Lau and activist Chloe Cheung, both based in the UK and involved in lobbying for democracy through two NGOs.
Other activists include political commentator Chung Kim-wah, who relocated to the UK in 2022, and two Canadians: former actor Joseph Tay, co-founder of the NGO HongKonger Station, and YouTuber Victor Ho.
Ho faces charges of subversion, while the others are accused of inciting secession and collusion with external forces.
Chung, who was convicted in 2021 for advocating Hong Kong’s secession, expressed little surprise at the arrest warrants.
“I knew this day would come. From the moment I decided to leave Hong Kong, I was fully aware that I would not be able to return for a long time,” he wrote on Instagram.
He confirmed that his asylum application in the UK was still pending.
Lau, also in the UK, vowed to continue her advocacy despite the arrest warrant, urging Western governments to impose sanctions on those responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.
She also called on the UK government to reconsider its stance on Chinese influence, especially in relation to a new Chinese embassy planned in Tower Hill, which local councillors recently voted to reject.
This marks the third round of arrest warrants and bounties since the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020, with previous warrants targeting activists like Nathan Law and Simon Cheng, both of whom now reside in the UK.
China’s foreign ministry has defended the move, emphasizing that Hong Kong is governed by the rule of law and that no one is above the law.
The National Security Law, enacted in response to the 2019 protests, has been criticized for curtailing Hong Kong’s autonomy and criminalizing a broad range of dissenting activities.
While Hong Kong and Beijing argue that the law is necessary for stability, critics claim it undermines freedoms and the city’s unique status.
Source-BBC
