© Reuters. The picture of activist Frances Hui is displayed throughout a press convention to situation arrest warrants in Hong Kong, China December 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
2/3
By Jessie Pang
HONG KONG (Reuters) -Hong Kong police on Thursday added 5 extra overseas-based activists to a listing of needed individuals, providing bounties for data resulting in their arrest in a seamless crackdown on dissent beneath a China-imposed nationwide safety legislation.
The transfer, which provides to a listing of eight abroad activists deemed fugitives by authorities in July, triggered criticism from governments within the U.S. and UK.
The 5 are Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Joey Siu, Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, who are actually primarily based in varied nations together with the US and Britain.
“All of them who have already fled overseas have continued to commit offences under the national security law that seriously endangered national security,” Steve Li, an officer with the Hong Kong police’s nationwide safety division, informed reporters.
The 5 have been accused of varied offences beneath the legislation, together with incitement to secession and subversion, in addition to collusion with overseas nations or exterior forces.
Police issued needed notices and rewards of HK$1 million ($128,000) for every of the 5.
Beijing imposed the nationwide safety legislation on the Asian monetary hub in 2020 after months of anti-government protests. The legislation punishes acts together with subversion, secession, collusion with overseas forces, and terrorism with as much as life in jail.
FINANCIAL HELP CHARGES
Joey Siu, an activist primarily based in Washington and a U.S. citizen, informed Reuters that this was the primary time an American citizen had been positioned beneath such a warrant and this “demonstrated the extraterritorial reach of the national security law and the chilling effect that follows”.
“I think democratic countries, especially the U.S., need to take a lead on addressing such transnational repression harassment tactics against activists like me,” Siu stated.
One other activist shrugged off the strikes.
“If the government deems the quest for democracy and freedom a crime, we embrace the charges to reveal the genuine face of social justice, unyielding to authority,” Simon Cheng, who’s now primarily based in Britain, stated on social media platform X.
The U.S. State Division stated it strongly condemned the Hong Kong authorities’ actions and its “bounty list” concentrating on democracy activists abroad.
“That shows blatant disregard for international norms, for democracy and human rights,” State Division spokesperson Matthew Miller informed a daily information briefing on Thursday. “We deplore any attempt to apply the Beijing-imposed national security law extra-territorially and reiterate that Hong Kong authorities have no jurisdiction within United States’ borders, where the advocates for democracy and freedom will continue to enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights.”
British International Secretary David Cameron stated he had instructed officers in Hong Kong, Beijing and London to lift the difficulty as a matter of urgency with the Hong Kong and Chinese language authorities.
“We will not tolerate any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK. This is a threat to our democracy and fundamental human rights,” Cameron stated in a press release launched by his workplace.
Hong Kong police additionally stated in addition they arrested two males and two girls aged between 29 and 68 for allegedly offering monetary help for actions endangering nationwide safety to 2 needed activists, Nathan Regulation and Ted Hui.
These have been the primary such arrests on monetary help grounds beneath the safety laws, which carries a most jail time period of 10 years.
“We paid particular attention to the essence of the wanted persons, and tried to break their chain of financing by all means,” Li stated.
Li stated the 4 had donated quantities of between HK$10,000 and 120,000 through a web based crowdfunding platform to advertise secession. They’re being detained for additional investigation.
One other distinguished activist, Agnes Chow, jumped bail and fled Hong Kong this month after what she known as sustained stress from authorities that had broken her psychological and bodily well being. Chow stated she was pressured to journey to the southern Chinese language metropolis of Shenzhen the place she was taken beneath police guard to a patriotic exhibition on China’s achievements, earlier than authorities allowed her to journey to Canada for research.
Li didn’t affirm, or deny, any of Chow’s claims, together with the pressured China journey, however stated police bail circumstances might change in line with completely different people and circumstances.
“If she has a chance to listen to this press conference, I hope she can seize the opportunity to return to Hong Kong, so that she won’t become a fugitive,” Li stated.
A spokesman for the Hong Kong authorities stated in a press release that it strongly supported the police motion.
“Fugitives should not take any chances or have any delusion that they could evade criminal liabilities by absconding from Hong Kong,” the spokesman stated.
