Hong Kong: Escalation of transnational repression against exiled activists must end

Hong Kong: Escalation of transnational repression against exiled activists must end - Protection

Today, the Hong Kong national security police issued a new wave of arrest warrants, accompanied by $1 million HKD ($128,754 USD) bounties, against six overseas Hong Kong rights defenders in the UK and Canada. The latest charges target Carmen Lau, Chloe Cheung, Tony Chung, Chung Kim-wah, Victor Leung Mau-ho and Joe Tay with national security offences including colluding with foreign forces and inciting secession as a result of social media posts and speeches at public events. Within the same day, security services cancelled the passports of seven other overseas right defenders, Ted Hui, Anna Kwok, Elmer Yuen, Dennis Kwok, Kevin Yam, Frances Hui and Joey Siu, who themselves have also faced such international bounties over their human rights advocacy since July and December 2023.

 

ARTICLE 19’s Head of Global China Programme Michael Caster, commented:

“This is an outrageous escalation in transnational repression against overseas Hong Kongers. That the authorities have chosen Christmas eve, when most of the world’s governments and news media will be less alert to denounce its arbitrary actions, is the epitome of cruelty and cowardice. That it has targeted exiled rights defenders in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and elsewhere demands a unified voice from these host countries, not only to denounce this latest act of repression but also to hold Hong Kong authorities accountable with concrete measures, including sanctions.”

Following the latest wave of transnational repression, to date there are 19 overseas activists facing arrest warrants from the Hong Kong authorities over national security charges. The seven whose passports have now been cancelled are Christopher Mung, Finn Lau, Simon Cheng, Johnny Fok, and Tony Choi whose passports were likewise cancelled in June 2024 bringing the total number of Hong Kongers with cancelled passports to 13.

All the activists named are charged under the 2020 National Security Law and 2024 Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which have been rubber-stamped by a compliant Legislative Council. 

In announcing the new arrest warrants against the six activists, Hong Kong chief superintended of the national security police, Steve Li, claimed they ‘have wantonly joined, or formed, organisations overseas and continue to engage in activities endangering national security.’

“These are not secessionists but courageous rights defenders who have done nothing that could be construed as endangering national security aside from calling for the authorities to abide by the Basic Law and Hong Kong’s voluntary commitments under international human rights law. These absurd, arbitrary charges only serve to further drive home the farce of Hong Kong authorities claiming to follow the rule of law,” said Michael.

 

For more information

Michael Caster, Head of Global China Programme, [email protected]