‘We call on the Hong Kong government to stop using its national security laws to silence dissent,’ said Gregory May, U.S. consul general in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong government is facing international criticism after it announced on Dec. 24 a fresh round of arrest warrants for six pro-democracy campaigners and revoked the passports of seven others.
Chris Tang, Hong Kong’s security secretary, accused the six pro-democracy activists of committing crimes, from incitement to secession, subversion, and collusion with foreign forces.
Tang said the six had compromised natural security by advocating for Hong Kong officials and judges to be sanctioned by foreign governments via speeches, social media posts, and lobbying.
Four are UK-based individuals: Chung Kim-wah, 64, a former pollster at the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute; Tony Chung, 23, a former convener of the now-defunct pro-independence group Studentlocalism in Hong Kong; Chloe Cheung, 19, a current activist with the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation; and Carmen Lau, 29, a former district councilor in Hong Kong and current senior international advocacy associate with the Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC).
The latest move adds to the 13 names already on the Hong Kong Police Force’s wanted list for alleged violations of the Beijing-imposed national security law, bringing the total to 19. Last year, eight activists were added to the list in July and another five in December. A bounty of HK$1 million (about $128,000) per individual has been set.
The Hong Kong government’s announcement followed the publication of a China report from the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) just days earlier. The report stated that Hong Kong has become “nearly indistinguishable from any other neon-lit city on the Chinese mainland” and that Hong Kong authorities “may now be more zealous than their mainland counterparts in enforcing national security laws.”
In response to questions from The Epoch Times, a U.S. State Department spokesperson denounced the new bounties and passport cancellations targeting overseas pro-democracy activists.
“We call on the Hong Kong government to stop using its national security laws to silence dissent,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
By Frank Fang and Eva Fu
