As part of a China-imposed national security law crackdown, Hong Kong police have offered million-dollar bounties for the arrest of five overseas-based activists, including an American citizen, The Guardian reports.
The move is an extension of the pursuit of eight pro-democracy activists living in the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia, announced in July by Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee, reports Fox News Digital.
The latest arrest warrants include Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, YouTube hosts focusing on current affairs, and pro-democracy activists Simon Cheng, Hui Wing-ting, and Joey Siu.
Will this ever end? 5 more Hong Kong activists seeking refuge in 🇬🇧 and 🇺🇸 now have arrest warrants issued against them by the Hong Kong national security police and have bounties on their heads for their overseas advocacy work. pic.twitter.com/wgYc6xoe4c
— Sophie Mak (@SophieMak1) December 14, 2023
The arrests are linked to alleged breaches of the Beijing-imposed national security law, including collusion with foreign powers and inciting secession.
Since the law’s validation in 2020, over 260 people have been arrested. Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security, Chris Tang, emphasized efforts to cut access to the activists’ finances, freezing and confiscating their assets.
The U.S. State Department strongly condemned the actions, labeling the “bounty list” targeting overseas democracy activists as a blatant disregard for international norms, democracy, and human rights.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated that Hong Kong authorities have no jurisdiction within the United States.
The UK foreign secretary, David Cameron, pledged to address the issue urgently with Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach to foreign attempts to intimidate or harm individuals in the UK.
