Hong Kong offers rewards for arrest of six activists abroad

Hong Kong police have offered a HK$1m (£103,000; $129,000) reward for information leading to the arrest of pro-democracy activists in the UK and Canada.

Among them is Tony Chung, a former leader of the independence movement fled to the UK last year.

The group – which includes a former provincial councillor, actor, and YouTuber – has been advocating for more democracy in the region. Both are accused of violating the city’s safety regulations.

Human Rights Watch said the rulings were “dangerous measures aimed at destabilizing the people of Hong Kong” and called on the UK and Canadian governments to back them up.

Also on the wanted list are former MP Carmen Lau and Chloe Cheung who is also a co-ordinator. Both are based in the UK and support two non-governmental organizations seeking democracy in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong police have issued arrest warrants for political commentator and researcher Chung Kim-wah, who left Hong Kong for the UK in 2022, and two Canadian residents: former actor Joseph Tay, founder of the NGO HongKonger Station . , and Youtuber Victor Ho.

Ho is accused of violating the constitution while the other six are accused of promoting separatism and collaborating with a foreign country or foreign armed forces.

According to Hong Kong reporter RTHK, arrest warrants were announced by the city’s police chiefs on Tuesday, who accused some of those wanted of repeatedly asking foreign countries to impose sanctions and other measures against China and Hong Kong.

Mr Chung was first convicted in 2021 of calling for secession in Hong Kong and was released in June last year.

He wrote on Instagram on Tuesday that he was “privileged to be the first Hongkonger to be charged twice under the National Security Law”.

Mr Chung said the news did not come as a surprise as he breached a probation order after escaping prison by fleeing to the UK last year.

“I knew this day would come. From the moment I decided to leave Hong Kong, I knew I wouldn’t be able to return for a long time,” he wrote.

Ms Lau wrote on X that the document would not stop her from her advocacy work. He called on the UK, US and EU governments to punish “human rights abusers in Hong Kong”.

He also called on the British Labor government to “seriously reconsider its approach to dealing with the oppression of Hong Kongers” and look to prevent the expansion of the Chinese embassy in Tower Hill.

Earlier this month, Tower Hamlets councillors voted unanimously to reject the plans of the new Chinese ambassador. However, the decision is advisory only and not binding and it will be up to deputy prime minister and regional secretary Angela Rayner to decide whether or not to grant permission.

This is the third batch of construction and payment documents issued since Beijing enacted the National Security Law.

The first two episodes were presented in July and December last year, and focused on veteran law enforcement officer Nathan Law – who told the BBC last year that. his life has been very dangerous since his announcement – and Simon Cheng, a former employee of the UK embassy He was arrested in 2019 for the most serious crime. Both men are now in the UK.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mao Ning supported the move on Tuesday because the Chinese government supports Hong Kong “in carrying out its duties in accordance with the law”.

He added that Hong Kong is “a society governed by the rule of law and no one has an extra chance”.

The National Security Act in Hong Kong was was launched in 2020 in response to the 2019 anti-government protests that rocked the city for months.

Officials in Beijing and Hong Kong say the law is necessary for stability and deny it weakens autonomy, but critics say it has reduced the city’s autonomy and fueled public opposition.