US Condemns Hong Kong Authorities Placing Bounties on Pro-Democracy Activists
The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has spoken out against the Hong Kong authorities for offering rewards for information leading to the arrest of five pro-democracy activists based overseas, including a US citizen. Blinken called on the international community to oppose “transnational repression.”
The bounties, worth 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000) each, were announced by Hong Kong authorities on Thursday and are aimed at individuals who have been targeted under the Chinese-ruled territory’s national security law.
Blinken stated, “We strongly oppose any efforts to intimidate and silence individuals who choose to make the United States their home and will not waver in standing up for those who are targeted simply for exercising their human rights.”
He urged the international community to join the US in condemning the act of transnational repression and called on the Hong Kong authorities to respect the protected rights and freedoms outlined in the Basic Law.
The five activists, Joey Siu, Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Johnny Fok, and Tony Choi, have advocated for democracy and civil liberties in Hong Kong from abroad following a widespread crackdown on the city by Beijing.
The move by the Hong Kong authorities has drawn criticism from the UK as well, with Foreign Secretary David Cameron condemning it as a “threat to our democracy and fundamental human rights.”
Amnesty International described the bounties as “confirmation that the Hong Kong authorities’ systematic dismantling of human rights has officially gone global.”
The Chinese foreign ministry, however, hit back at the criticism, accusing Western governments of revealing their “malicious intentions in messing up Hong Kong.”
The national security law in Hong Kong has led to the arrest of approximately 300 people, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who is set to go on trial on charges of colluding with foreign forces. This law has significantly curtailed the rights and freedoms that are meant to distinguish Hong Kong from the Chinese mainland under the “one country, two systems” arrangement.