Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants and rewards for six activists, including two Canadians.
Hong Kong police on Tuesday announced new arrest warrants for six overseas activists, including two Canadians, with a $185,000 reward for information leading to their arrest.
According to the warrants, six people are wanted for national security crimes such as secession, subversion and collusion with foreign powers. Among them is Tony Chung, former leader of the now-defunct pro-independence group Studentlocalism.
Carmen Lau, a UK-based former district councilor and current Hong Kong Democracy Council activist, and Chloe Cheung, an activist with the Hong Kong Freedom Committee, also had warrants against them.
The latest round of rulings shows the Hong Kong government targeting vocal critics living abroad.
The government has previously issued two rounds of arrest warrants and rewards for more prominent activists, including former lawmakers Ted Hui and Nathan Law.
The rise in the number of people wanted abroad comes as Hong Kong continues to crack down on political dissidents after massive anti-government protests sparked a wave of pro-democracy movements in 2019. Many outspoken pro-democracy activists have since been arrested, while others have fled abroad.
Activists react to favors placed upon them
Chung, a former Studentlocalism leader, said in an Instagram story that he was “honored” to be the first Hong Konger to be charged with twice violating the national security law.
“As a staunch Hong Kong nationalist, today’s search announcement is certainly a confirmation of sorts for me. In the future, I will continue to advocate for Hong Kong’s right to self-determination steadfastly and fearlessly,” he wrote.
“Even in the face of a powerful enemy, I will continue to do what I believe is right,” Cheung, who lives separately in England, said on his Instagram account.
“How fragile, incompetent and cowardly does a regime have to be to believe that I, a 19-year-old ordinary Hong Kong resident, can ‘endanger’ and ‘tear apart’ the country? A million dollar reward for me?” he asked.
Article 23, the controversial national security law, has come into effect in Hong Kong. Many fear that crackdowns on dissent will further erode civil liberties.
In Lau X, he called on governments including the UK, US and EU countries to “impose sanctions without further delay against Hong Kong human rights abusers” and called on democracies to support Hong Kong’s right to self-determination.
“The Hong Kong government’s recent arrest warrants and rewards for six Hong Kong activists are a cowardly act of intimidation aimed at silencing the people of Hong Kong,” said Maya Wang, assistant China director at Human Rights Watch.
“Six people, including two Canadian citizens, live in the UK and Canada. We call on the UK and Canadian governments to take immediate action against the Hong Kong government’s attempts to threaten Hong Kongers living in their country.”
Tuesday’s arrest brings the total number of people wanted to 19.
Others on Tuesday’s list include: Chung Kim-wah, formerly a senior fellow at the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, an independent pollster; Joseph Tay, co-founder of Canada-based NGO HongKonger Station; and YouTuber Victor Ho.
Separately on Tuesday, the Hong Kong government ordered the cancellation of the passports of seven “fugitives”, including former lawmakers Hui and Dennis Kwok, who are wanted under the security law.
The orders were issued under Hong Kong’s internal national security law (known as Article 23) and also prohibit the seven individuals from dealing with Hong Kong funds, as well as joint ventures and proprietary activities.
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