Hong Kong police announce benefits for pro-democracy activists abroad | Human Rights Issues

Police in China are offering a $130,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of six activists.

Hong Kong authorities have arrested six pro-democracy activists accused of harming national security in the latest incident to highlight the growing rift in the financial sector.

The police announcement on Tuesday is the third time authorities have offered a reward of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($130,000) for information leading to the arrest of pro-democracy advocates based overseas.

The Chinese territory's wanted list now includes 19 activists accused of loosely defined crimes of secession, subversion or collaboration.

Hong Kong Security Secretary Chris Tang said activists have endangered the country's security through activities such as lobbying for sanctions against Hong Kong officials and judges.

Newly added activists include Tony Chung, former head of the independent pro-Hong Kong Studentlocalism group, Joseph Tay, founder of the Canadian-based rights group Hongkonger Station, and Carmen Lau of the Hong Kong Council for Democracy.

The others are Chung Kim-wah, a former researcher at the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, Victor Ho, a YouTuber based in Canada, and Chloe Cheung of the Freedom Committee in Hong Kong.

“Since I ran away, I have always regretted not being able to serve my people until the end,” Lau wrote in X.

Therefore, as a member of the diaspora and as a Hong Konger, I vow to put our fight for Hong Kong before anything else, even before me.

Authorities also said they had revoked the passports of seven activists who were on the wanted list, including former Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui.

Once home to the most powerful political opposition and one of the freest media hubs in Asia, Hong Kong has prosecuted almost all dissent under strict security laws introduced in response to the many anti-government protests in 2019.

Western governments and human rights groups have condemned the crackdown on the former British colony, while Chinese and Hong Kong officials have defended the laws as necessary to restore stability after 2019's often violent protests.

None of the 19 people on the wanted list are likely to be extradited to Hong Kong as they live in Western countries that have expressed concern about the diminishing of rights and freedoms in the city.

Kevin Yam, an Australian-based lawyer who was put on the most wanted list in July last year after being accused of colluding with other countries, said the latest gains would undermine the city's efforts to rebuild its international image, which has been plagued by gangs and gangs. of the world's toughest border controls during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What I can say is that every time Hong Kong tries to re-introduce itself, its government does something oppressive to undermine all that,” Yam told Al Jazeera.

And they're young enough to think that in the age of a 24-hour news cycle, dropping 'bad news' on Christmas Eve can make things look worse for them.”