HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong police accused five overseas-based activists of violating a harsh national security law imposed by Beijing and offered rewards of HKD1 million (USD128,000) on Thursday for information leading to each of their arrests.
The bounties further intensify the Hong Kong government’s crackdown on dissidents following anti-government protests in 2019. Many leading pro-democracy activists were arrested, silenced or forced into self-exile after the introduction of the security law in 2020.
Both the Beijing and Hong Kong governments have praised the security law, saying it brought back stability to the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
Arrest warrants were issued for Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, who host a YouTube channel focusing on current affairs, and pro-democracy activists Simon Cheng, Hui Wing-ting and Joey Siu. Police refused to say anything about their whereabouts, but their social media profiles and earlier media reports indicate they have moved to the United States and Britain.
In July, Hong Kong warned eight other activists who now live abroad that they would be pursued for life with bounties put on them. It was the first such use of bounties under the security law, and the authorities’ announcement drew criticism from Western governments.
Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police national security department, said authorities have received about 500 pieces of information about the eight since those bounties were announced. He said some of the information was valuable but that no arrests have been made.
Li said the five activists newly added to the wanted list had committed various offenses including colluding with foreign forces and incitement to secession.
“They all betrayed their own country and betrayed Hong Kong,” he said at a news conference. “After they fled overseas, they continued to engage in activities endangering national security.”
Li said authorities will try their best to cut financial support to the wanted activists.
Police arrested four other people on Wednesday on suspicion of funding former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law and Ted Hui — two of the eight activists targeted by the police in July — through an “online subscription and crowdfunding platform.”
The four were alleged to have provided financial support to others committing secession. The amounts involved ranged from HKD10,000 to HKD120,000 (USD1,280 to USD15,400).
