Hong Kong police on Tuesday announced a new round of arrest warrants for six overseas-based activists, with rewards of HK$1 million for information leading to their arrest.
According to arrest warrants, the six are wanted on charges related to national security such as secession, sabotage, and collusion with foreign forces. Among them is Tony Chung, the former leader of the now-defunct pro-independence group Studentlocalism.
UK resident Carmen Lau, a former local councilor and current Hong Kong Democracy Council activist, as well as Chloe Cheung, an activist with the Hong Kong Freedom Committee, have also had arrest warrants issued against them.
The latest round of arrest warrants suggests the Hong Kong government is targeting outspoken critics based abroad.
The government had previously issued two rounds of arrest warrants and rewards to prominent activists, including former lawmakers Ted Hui and Nathan Law.
The growing number of individuals wanted abroad comes as Hong Kong continues to crack down on political opposition following massive anti-government protests in 2019 that resulted in a wave of pro-democracy movements. Since then, many outspoken pro-democracy activists have been imprisoned, and others have fled abroad.
Chung, the former leader of the student locality, said in an Instagram story that he was “honored” to be the first Hong Kong citizen to be charged with violating the national security law twice.
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“As a staunch Hong Kong nationalist, today’s notice of demand is undoubtedly a kind of confirmation for me. In the future, I will continue to work steadily and fearlessly for the right of self-determination in Hong Kong,” he wrote.
Separately, Cheung, who is based in the UK, said in an Instagram post: “Even in the face of a powerful enemy, I will continue to do what I believe is right.”
“How fragile, incompetent and cowardly does the regime have to be to believe that I, an ordinary 19-year-old Hong Kong guy, can ‘endanger’ and ‘divide’ the country? How terrified are they that they have to put a million-dollar bounty on me? I asked.
Lau posted on
“The latest round of arrest warrants and rewards issued by the Hong Kong government against six activists in Hong Kong is a cowardly act of intimidation aimed at silencing Hong Kong people,” said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch.
“The six – including two Canadian citizens – live in the United Kingdom and Canada. We call on the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada to act immediately to respond to the Hong Kong government’s attempts to threaten Hong Kong people living in their countries.
The arrest warrants issued on Tuesday bring the total number of people wanted to 19.
Others on Tuesday’s list include Chung Kim Wah, who was previously a senior member of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, an independent polling organisation; Joseph Tai, co-founder of the Canada-based NGO HongKonger Station; And YouTuber Victor Hu.
Separately, on Tuesday, the Hong Kong government issued orders to cancel the passports of seven “fugitives,” including former legislators Hui and Dennis Kwok, who are wanted under the security law.
The orders were made under Hong Kong’s local national security law – known as Article 23 – and also prohibit the seven from handling money in Hong Kong as well as activities related to joint ventures and property.
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