Steve Li Kwai-wah, superintendent of Hong Kong’s national security department, speaks during a press conference to issue arrest warrants for eight activists, in Hong Kong on Monday. Joyce Zhou/Reuters hide caption
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Joyce Zhou/Reuters
Steve Li Kwai-wah, superintendent of Hong Kong’s national security department, speaks during a press conference to issue arrest warrants for eight activists, in Hong Kong on Monday.
Joyce Zhou/Reuters
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Hong Kong has issued arrest warrants for eight exiled activists and lawyers, accusing them of violating China’s national security law and offering a large reward for their capture.
Among the eight people Hong Kong’s national security police say are wanted for “collusion with foreign forces” are activist and former lawmaker Nathan Law, now in exile in the UK; former MP Ted Hui and legal scholar Kevin Yam, both in Australia; and Anna Kwok, director of a pro-Hong Kong advocacy organization based in Washington, DC
For those who asked:
Yes, this is the photo I used to renew my HKID card when I was 18.
18-year-old me would never have thought that the photo would become known worldwide in an arrest warrant (with a reward) 8 years later.
Note: They enlarged the order photo. pic.twitter.com/LhEN5Nv6ut
— Anna Kwok 郭凯仪 (@AnnaKwokFY) July 3, 2023
In response to his arrest warrant, Law said the charges “are classic examples of abusing the concept of ‘national security,’ taking its definition to the extreme to suppress dissenting voices.” He also said he has not accepted foreign government funding.
At a press conference on Monday, Steve Li Kwai-wah, the superintendent of Hong Kong’s national security department, said those on the wanted list “have encouraged sanctions … to destroy Hong Kong,” despite live in exile The charges against them can carry a maximum of life in prison.
“They have committed very serious crimes that endanger national security.” He told himadding that the government is offering 1 million Hong Kong dollars (about $130,000) each for information leading to their arrests.
1. For the past few years, the Office of Homeland Security has accused me of violating the Homeland Security Act. Details of: incitement to secession, collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security were revealed today.
A reward of HKD 1 million is guaranteed. pic.twitter.com/KV7FIogULP
— Nathan Law (@nathanlawkc) July 3, 2023
Under China’s national security law in Hong Kong, passed in response to mass anti-Beijing protests in 2019, most of Hong Kong’s opposition and civil society leaders have been arrested or exiled .
According to Hong Kong police, 260 people have been detained under the national security law, and 79 of them have been convicted.
In recent days, China has tightened legislation to safeguard its national security. Last week, Beijing passed a sweeping foreign relations law, which threatens countermeasures against those deemed harmful to China’s interests.
On Friday, the US State Department updated your China travel advice, advising Americans to reconsider their travel plans to China. “The government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) arbitrarily enforces local laws, including issuing travel bans to US citizens and citizens of other countries, without fair and transparent process under the law” , says the notice.
