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Hong Kong police have announced rewards for information leading to the arrest of 19 overseas-based activists accused of being part of a subversive organization that violated national security laws imposed by Beijing. The group, called “Hong Kong Parliament,” was accused of promoting self-determination and establishing a so-called “Hong Kong constitution.” Hong Kong police stated that the group aimed to overthrow China’s fundamental system or undermine institutions in power within the city or in China.
The city’s court issued arrest warrants for activists Elmer Yuen, Johnny Fok, Tony Choi, Victor Ho, Keung Ka-wai, and 14 others. They are alleged to have organized or participated in an election abroad for the Hong Kong Parliament and set up or joined the group. The Facebook statement by the group on June 30 indicated that it received 15,700 valid votes through a mobile app and online voting systems. Candidates and elected members came from various regions, including Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, the U.S., Canada, and Britain.
Among the 19 activists, police had already offered HK$1 million ($127,400) for information leading to the arrest of Yuen, Ho, Fok, and Choi when previous warrants were issued. For the remaining 15 people, rewards of HK$200,000 ($25,480) each were offered, urging residents to provide information about the case or the individuals involved.
“The investigation is still ongoing,” police said. “If necessary, we will offer bounties to hunt down more suspects.” They urged those wanted to stop their actions while they still can and hoped that activists would take this opportunity to return to Hong Kong and surrender rather than making more mistakes. Yuen stated in a Facebook live broadcast that the election was not as successful as expected in drawing active participation, but the police campaign would help rally support for the resistance movement.
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During a live chat with Yuen on Facebook, Sasha Gong, another target of the bounty, accused Hong Kong of becoming a police state and said she is a U.S. citizen who would report her case to U.S. authorities and lawmakers. The U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper criticized the warrants and bounties issued against people living in Britain, calling them “another example of transnational repression” that encourages reckless behavior on British soil.
Over the past two years, Hong Kong authorities have issued arrest warrants for various activists based overseas, including former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law and Ted Hui. They also canceled some of their passports under a new security law introduced to the city last year. The moves against overseas-based activists have drawn criticism from foreign governments, especially given that Hong Kong was promised Western-style civil liberties and semi-autonomy for at least 50 years when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
In retaliation for the U.S. move, China announced sanctions on U.S. officials, lawmakers, and leaders of non-governmental organizations who are alleged to have “performed poorly” on Hong Kong issues.
Beijing and Hong Kong maintain that the national security laws were necessary for the city’s stability and apply to permanent residents in Hong Kong who violate them abroad.
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How much reward did Hong Kong police offer for information leading to the arrest of Yuen, Ho, Fok, and Choi initially?
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