Hong Kong police on Tuesday announced a new batch of arrest warrants for six overseas-based activists – including two Canadian citizens – with bounties set at $185,000 for information leading to their arrest.
According to the warrants, the six are wanted for national security crimes such as secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces. Among them is Tony Chung, former head of the now defunct independence group Studentlocalism.
UK-based Carmen Lau, a former district councilor and current activist with the Hong Kong Democracy Council, as well as Chloe Cheung, an activist with the Hong Kong Freedom Committee, were also on warrants. set out against them.
The latest round of warrants reveals that the Hong Kong government is targeting vocal critics based overseas.
The government had previously issued two rounds of arrest warrants and bounties for more prominent activists, including former lawmakers Ted Hui and Nathan Law.
The number of individuals looking abroad is coming as Hong Kong continues to crack down on political dissent after massive anti-government protests in 2019 led to a wave of protests for democracy. Many pro-democracy activists have since been jailed, while others have fled abroad.
Campaigners deal with bounties placed on their heads
Chung, a former student district leader, said in a story posted to Instagram that he was “honored” to be the first Hong Konger to be accused of violating the national security law twice.
“As a strong nationalist in Hong Kong, the announcement I want today is undoubtedly a form of confirmation for me. In the future, I will continue to promote Hong Kong's self-determination without hesitation and without fear,” he wrote.
Separately, Cheung, who is based in the UK, said in an Instagram post that “even in the face of a powerful enemy, I will continue to do what I believe is right.”
“How fragile, incompetent, and stupid must a regime be to believe that I, an ordinary 19-year-old Hongkonger, can endanger the country and “divide” it? million dollar bounty on me?” she asked.
Article 23, Hong Kong's controversial national security law, has come into force. Many fear that the crackdown on dissent will further erode civil liberties.
Lau posted on X a call for governments, including those of the UK, US and EU countries, to “sanction Hong Kong's human rights abusers without further delay” and added urge democracies to support Hong Kong's right to self-determination.
“The Hong Kong government's latest round of arrest warrants and bounties against six Hong Kong activists is an act of terror aimed at silencing the people of Hong Kong,” said Maya Wang, China affairs director at Human Rights Watch.
“The six – including two Canadian citizens – live in the UK and Canada. We call on the UK and Canadian governments to act immediately to push back against the Hong Kong government's efforts to threatens Hong Kongers living in their countries.”
Tuesday's arrest warrants bring the total number of people wanted to 19.
Others on the list on Tuesday are: Chung Kim-wah, a former senior member of the independent polling group the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute; Joseph Tay, co-founder of Canada-based NGO HongKonger Station; and YouTuber Victor Ho.
Separately on Tuesday, the Hong Kong government issued orders to cancel the passports of seven “fugitives,” including former lawmakers Hui and Dennis Kwok, who are wanted under the security law.
The orders were made under Hong Kong's domestic national security law – known as Article 23 – and it also prohibits the seven from dealing in money in Hong Kong as well as related activities to joint ventures and ownership.
