Nathan Law, Ted Hui among individuals wanted for alleged
security offenses
Steven Li, the chief superintendent of the national security police, explains the arrest warrants for eight activists in Hong Kong on July 3. © Reuters
PAK YIU, Nikkei staff writerJuly 3, 2023 18:48 JST
HONG KONG --
Eight Hong Kong activists living overseas were named in arrest warrants issued
by the national security police on Monday.
The people wanted for allegedly
endangering national security are barrister Kevin Yam, businessman Elmer Yuen,
the Hong Kong Democracy Council's Anna Kwok, former legislators Ted Hui and
Dennis Kwok, labor rights advocate Christopher Mung, and activists Finn Lau and
Nathan Law.
National security officers said the
eight are wanted for urging foreign countries to sanction members of the
judiciary and other officials, constituting "very serious national security
crimes."
U.S. lawmakers in May urged
Washington to sanction 29 judges overseeing national security cases, while
European Union parliament members also called for sanctions on Hong Kong and
Chinese officials last Friday.
The eight individuals -- who reside
in Canada, Australia, the U.S. and Britain -- are wanted on allegations ranging
from colluding with foreign forces to secession and subverting the state. Some
foreign governments, including those of the four countries in question, have
suspended extradition and other criminal justice cooperation arrangements with
Hong Kong since the security law was enacted.
"We are not stoking any fears
or staging a show," said National Security Department Chief Superintendent
Steven Li. "We are enforcing the law."
The Hong Kong police also offered
bounties of up to 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,000) per person, saying
they would provide financial incentives for anyone who assists in the arrest of
the wanted individuals.
The ex-legislator Hui described the
bounty on his head as a "ridiculous" gesture that shows Beijing's
desperate efforts to persecute the Hong Kong diaspora. The bounty "even
makes it clearer to Western democracies that China is going toward more extreme
authoritarianism and [becoming] more of a threat to the world," he told
Nikkei Asia, which has reached out to all the suspects for comment.
Bruce Hung Ngan, senior
superintendent of the national security police, said the authorities would
continue to investigate the eight individuals' communications with people in
Hong Kong and overseas, while looking into any financial assistance they may
have received.
"We must prevent any avenues
including collaboration with the national security criminals through any means
using accounts with financial institutions," he said.
The arrest warrants come days after
the third anniversary of the national security law. Beijing forced the
draconian law on Hong Kong following mass antigovernment demonstrations in
2019. The crackdown sparked an exodus of Hong Kongers, with many democracy
activists now in self-exile.
Under articles 37 and 38, the
security law has an extraterritorial
application that has stoked fears among the Hong Kong diaspora about
speaking out against rights abuses or advocating for democracy in the city.
Overall, Hong Kong's national
security forces have arrested 260 people for endangering national security, the
police said, while 79 have been convicted or are awaiting sentencing. The law
has a conviction rate of 100% so far.
On the handover anniversary on
Saturday, Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee urged vigilance against
"soft resistance" that threatened national security. He added that
"destructive forces ... are still lurking in our city."
The security law, which Chinese
authorities say has brought stability back to Hong Kong, has imposed a chilling
effect on society.
"In a city once known for its
vibrant and diverse public square, no one feels comfortable sharing critical or
even lightly satirical remarks or cartoons about the government in public, or
sometimes even among friends in private," Johannes Chan, former law dean
at the University of Hong Kong, wrote in an analysis of the law's impact.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Hong-Kong-security-law/Hong-Kong-issues-arrest-warrants-for-8-activists-abroad
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