Title: Hong Kong Police Offer Rewards for Arrest of Pro-democracy Activists Accused of Violating National Security Law
Date: July 3, 2023
Source: ZEN SOO, Associated Press
Hong Kong police have taken a significant step in their crackdown on pro-democracy activists by accusing eight self-exiled individuals of violating the territory’s National Security Law. The police have also offered rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) each for information leading to the arrest of these activists, who are currently residing in the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.
The accused activists are former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law, Ted Hui, and Dennis Kwok, lawyer Kevin Yam, unionist Mung Siu-tat, and activists Finn Lau, Anna Kwok, and Elmer Yuen. This marks the first instance of rewards being offered for suspects involved in violating the National Security Law which came into effect in June 2020. The legislation criminalizes subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces, and terrorism.
Steven Li, the chief superintendent of the police’s National Security Department, revealed that arrest warrants have been issued for the eight activists under the National Security Law. However, he acknowledged that the police would not be able to apprehend them if they remained overseas. He appealed to the activists to return to Hong Kong and surrender in order to potentially receive reduced sentences.
Li emphasized that these charges and rewards were not intended to instill fear but rather to enforce the law. He cited sections of the security law that grant police extraterritorial jurisdiction and the authority to pursue individuals overseas who pose a threat to Hong Kong’s national security.
The press conference held by the Hong Kong police came shortly after the state-owned Ta Kung Pao newspaper published an editorial declaring that the National Security Law applies to individuals outside the territory. It further highlighted that as a member of Interpol, China has the right to request assistance from other countries in arresting fugitives.
Hong Kong has endured increasing scrutiny from Beijing following the political turmoil of 2019. The authorities have responded by cracking down on dissent, resulting in the arrest of over 260 individuals, including many prominent pro-democracy figures, under the National Security Law. As part of a major political overhaul, measures have been implemented to ensure that only individuals loyal to Beijing can hold office in the city.
The police force claims to possess evidence that the eight activists violated the National Security Law. Among them, lawyer Kevin Yam, former legislator Dennis Kwok, and activists Elmer Yuen, Finn Lau, and Anna Kwok have been accused of foreign collusion for allegedly advocating for sanctions against Hong Kong officials. Former lawmaker Ted Hui faces charges of inciting secession, subversion, and foreign collusion due to his alleged social media posts calling for Hong Kong and Taiwan’s independence, along with sanctions against city officials. Nathan Law, who currently resides in Britain, has been accused of foreign collusion and inciting secession for reportedly advocating for sanctions and Hong Kong’s separation from China in various international forums and media platforms. Unionist Mung Siu-tat has been accused of inciting secession for advocating the separation of Hong Kong from the mainland.
In response, Nathan Law took to Twitter to denounce the charges as an attempt to suppress dissenting voices and urged Hong Kong citizens not to cooperate with any related pursuit. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, stated that the country would not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas. He called on the Beijing government to repeal the National Security Law and for Hong Kong authorities to cease targeting individuals who stand up for freedom and democracy.
As tensions continue to rise between the pro-democracy movement and the Hong Kong government, it remains to be seen how the international community will respond to these latest developments.