HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s chief mentioned Tuesday that eight pro-democracy activists who now reside in the USA, Britain, Canada and Australia shall be pursued for all times for alleged nationwide safety offenses, dismissing criticism that the transfer to have them arrested was a harmful precedent.
Chief Government John Lee expressed his assist for the police’s efforts to arrest the eight. At his weekly media briefing, Lee mentioned anybody, together with their pals and kinfolk, who provided data resulting in their arrests could be eligible for the bounties provided by the police.
“The one approach to finish their future of being an abscondee who shall be pursued for all times is to give up,” he mentioned.
The arrest warrants had been issued for former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Regulation, Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok, lawyer Kevin Yam, unionist Mung Siu-tat and activists Finn Lau, Anna Kwok and Elmer Yuen. They had been accused of breaching the Beijing-imposed Nationwide Safety Regulation by committing offenses corresponding to collusion and inciting secession.
Greater than 260 folks have been arrested below the regulation enacted in 2020 as a part of a broad crackdown on dissent within the territory, however the rewards of 1 million Hong Kong {dollars} ($127,600) for data main to every arrest had been the primary below the regulation.
The transfer rapidly drew ire from the U.S. and British governments, which took subject with the extraterritorial software of the safety regulation. The U.S. mentioned such an software of the safety regulation was a harmful precedent that threatened human rights. Australian Overseas Minister Penny Wong additionally tweeted that her nation was “deeply involved” by reviews of Hong Kong authorities issuing arrest warrants for democracy advocates.
However Lee insisted extraterritorial energy exists within the nationwide safety legal guidelines of many international locations. He mentioned how abroad officers and politicians commented on the federal government’s strikes is not going to change his administration’s sturdy perception in safeguarding nationwide safety.
“I am not afraid of any political stress that’s placed on us as a result of we do what we imagine is true,” he mentioned.
The Chinese language Overseas Ministry’s workplace in Hong Kong additionally rejected the criticism from the U.S. and Britain, warning “international interference forces” to cease shielding “criminals” instantly.
The row displays a contemporary supply of competition between Beijing and the West over the alleged abroad attain of China’s enforcement businesses following the difficulty of China’s alleged “secret abroad police stations.” These stations have been reported throughout North America, Europe and in different international locations the place Chinese language communities embody critics of the Communist Celebration who’ve household or enterprise contacts in China. Beijing denied they’re police stations, saying that they exist primarily to supply citizen providers corresponding to renewing driver’s licenses.
However Hong Kong’s additional crackdown didn’t cease these abroad activists from talking up.
Regulation, who’s accused of international collusion and inciting secession, mentioned on his Fb the newest growth signaled he was once more being focused by China’s ruling Communist Celebration and that he felt the “invisible stress.” Nevertheless, he refused to give up.
“All I did was affordable, justifiable and peaceable advocacy work,” the British-based activist mentioned.
Mung additionally pledged in a press release that he wouldn’t stop advocacy work for Hong Kong labor rights overseas.
“If I had been ever discovered responsible, my solely ‘crime’ could be talking the reality for my fellow Hong Kongers,” he mentioned.
Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese language rule in 1997, has come below more and more tight scrutiny by Beijing following months of mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Police on Monday acknowledged they won’t be able to arrest the eight if they continue to be abroad.
Eunice Yung, a pro-Beijing lawmaker, who’s the daughter-in-law of Yuen, supported the police’s transfer on her Fb web page, reiterating she had already minimize ties with Yuen in final August.
“All his acts don’t have anything to do with me,” she mentioned.