Hong Kong Watch condemns targeting of five exiled Hong Kong pro-democracy activists

Today, the Hong Kong national security police issued five more arrest warrants with HK$1 million (£101,118) bounties for five exiled Hong Kongers who now live and advocate for democracy in the US and UK.

Joey Siu and Frances Hui, both 24 and based in the US, are charged with alleged “collusion” between October 2020 and July 2023 and October 2020 and January 2022, respectively. Joey Siu serves on the Executive Council of the World Liberty Congress and previously worked as a Policy Advisor at Hong Kong Watch. Frances Hui is a Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. 

Simon Cheng, 33, is charged with alleged “incitement to secession” and “collusion” between August 2020 and June 2022. Simon Cheng is based in the UK and founded Hongkongers in Britain, the largest UK-wide Hong Kong diaspora organisation. 

Johnny Fok, 42, and Tony Choi, 46, are also based in the UK and are online radio hosts for Tuesdayroad Media. They are charged with alleged “incitement to secession and incitement to subversion.”

Chief Superintendent Steve Li of the Hong Kong Police Force’s National Security Department during a press conference today said:

“All of them, who have already fled overseas, have continued to commit the offence under the national security law that seriously endanger national security, including incitement to secession, incitement to subversion, and collusion with foreign country or external elements to endanger national security.”

The five arrest warrants follow the arrest warrants and bounties issued for eight overseas Hong Kong pro-democracy activists in July 2023: Ted Hui, Dennis Kwok, Nathan Law, Anna Kwok, Elmer Yuen, Mung Siu-Tat, Finn Lau and Kevin Yam. Hong Kong Watch condemned these arrest warrants as well as the many instances of the Hong Kong government targeting their family and colleagues in Hong Kong.

The United Nations has repeatedly called for the repeal and suspension of the National Security Law. In July 2022 the UN Human Rights Committee said it was “deeply concerned about the overly broad interpretation” of the National Security Law and recommended that China repeal the law and refrain from applying it in the meantime. In June 2023, the European Parliament passed its third resolution on the human rights situation in the HKSAR in three years, stating that “fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, and the judiciary’s independence in Hong Kong have deteriorated alarmingly” since the imposition of the National Security Law. 

Benedict Rogers, co-founder and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch, said:

“Hong Kong Watch condemns these arrest warrants and bounties that have been issued against our friends and colleagues. The Hong Kong government has no business targeting pro-democracy activists who have lawfully left Hong Kong to escape the oppression of the Chinese Communist Party, which clearly has no real sense of the meaning of national security. 

“Despite the claims of the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, the National Security Law has no valid jurisdiction abroad and must not be respected by other governments. We urge the UK, US and Australian governments to take immediate action to ensure appropriate protection for the five pro-democracy activists as well as the previous eight. It is also crucial that the UK, US and Australia collaborate with one another and other like-minded governments to suspend remaining extradition treaties with the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong, and to introduce an Interpol early warning system to protect all pro-democracy activists overseas.”

香港監察譴責港警國安處再懸紅通緝五名海外港人 促請英美澳政府提供適當保護

香港警方國安處今天宣布再通緝多五名流亡海外的香港社運人士，包括邵嵐、許穎婷、鄭文傑、霍嘉誌和蔡明達，各懸紅100萬港元。

邵嵐和許穎婷現正身處美國，鄭文傑、霍嘉誌和蔡明達則身處英國。他們分別涉嫌「煽動分裂國家」、「煽動顛覆國家政權」、「勾結外國或境外勢力」、「危害國家安全」等罪。

這是繼2023年7月懸紅通緝八名海外香港社運人士後的第二次通緝行動，有關人士為：許智峯、郭榮鏗、羅冠聰、郭鳯儀、袁弓夷、蒙兆達、劉祖廸和任建峰。香港監察曾嚴厲譴責此舉，以及香港政府多次針對他們在港家人和同事的行徑。

香港監察共同創辦人兼行政總監羅傑斯（Benedict Rogers）表示：

「香港監察譴責香港當局懸紅通緝我們的朋友和同儕。香港政府無權針對為逃離中國共產黨壓迫而合法離開香港的社運人士，中共顯然並不真正理解國家安全的含義。

不論中港當局的說法如何，《國家安全法》並無具法律效力的海外司法管轄權，其他國家的政府毋須理會。我們促請英國、美國和澳洲政府立即採取行動，確保向這五名社運人士以及先前被通緝的八名社運人士提供適當保護。同樣至關重要的是，英國、美國和澳洲政府應該互相合作，並與其他志同道合的政府合作，中止其餘與中國和香港的引渡條約，並引入國際刑警組織預警機制，從而保護所有海外社運人士。」