Hong Kong Police Issue Arrest Warrants for 8 Overseas Pro-Democracy Activists, Including Canadian Man

Dennis Kwok (C) stands outside the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong on Nov. 8, 2016, after a silent march in protest of a ruling by China which effectively bars two pro-independence legislators from taking office. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

Hong Kong police have issued arrest warrants for eight pro-democracy activists living abroad, claiming they have violated the territory’s national security law. Dennis Kwok, a former politician in Hong Kong who was born in Canada, is among them.

Hong Kong’s National Security Department (NSD) issued the arrest warrants on July 3, along with a HK$1 million dollar reward (C$170,000) for information on the eight activists.

Besides Kwok, the other seven accused are Kevin Yam, Gong-yi Yuan, Fung-yee Kwok, Chi-fung Hui, Siu-tat Mung, Chodik Lau, and Kwun-chung Law. They are all currently living in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

The self-exiled democracy activists are accused of offences under Hong Kong’s national security law, including “incitement to secession,” “subversion,” “incitement to subversion,” and “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security,” according to an NSD press release.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, has been semi-autonomous since being returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Beijing has sought to tighten control over the city, particularly after a massive democracy movement in 2019.

Following over a year of protests in Hong Kong against the introduction of a bill that would allow extradition to mainland China, Beijing’s rubber-stamp legislature implemented its national security law in the city on June 30, 2020, targeting so-called session, subversion of state power, and collusion with foreign forces. Following the law’s passage, authorities have shut down outspoken media outlets and arrested around 260 pro-democracy figures.

In a follow-up release on July 4, the NSD security secretary urged the wanted individuals to voluntarily return to Hong Kong, adding that the police will track down their relatives and family members who provided them with financial support. The Hong Kong government and the Security Bureau of Hong Kong both issued statements backing the NSD.

Kwok is a solicitor who became a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council and served in politics from 2012 to 2020. He is also a founding member of the pro-democracy Civic Party in Hong Kong. In May 2022, he launched a law firm in New York that specializes in complex business litigation, according to legal news service Law360.

A spokesperson with Global Affairs Canada expressed concerns about the Hong Kong police’s arrest warrants but noted that Canadian consul officials have not received any requests for consular assistance related to the eight activists.

“Canada is gravely concerned by the issuance of arrest warrants by Hong Kong authorities for 8 democratic activists around the world. We continue to call on Hong Kong and Chinese central authorities to respect and uphold rights and freedoms guaranteed under Hong Kong’s Basic Law,” Charlotte MacLeod said in an email statement.

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has criticized the arrest warrants, saying the UK “will not tolerate” the Chinese regime’s attempts to silence overseas dissidents.

‘Terrorizing Hongkongers’

The timing and purpose of NSD’s arrest warrants puzzles Victor Ho, former editor-in-chief for the Sing Tao Daily, a Chinese newspaper in Canada.

Ho said some of the wanted, such as Mr. Gong-yi Yuan—as well as Ho himself—were already on another wanted list released by the Hong Kong Security Bureau in 2022. He said the latest arrest warrants appear to be politically motivated.

“I believe it is primarily used to terrorize Hongkongers and for two reasons: One is to deter them from contacting the wanted people, and the other is to cut off financial support for these individuals,” Mr. Ho told The Epoch Times in Chinese.

He added that the Hong Kong authorities may be attempting to “show teeth,” aiming to signal to the Hong Kong diaspora that the national security law carries extraterritorial jurisdiction.

The NSD’s July 3 release appeared to convey a similar message, saying, “As the National Security Law has extraterritorial effect, the Police have the responsibility to pursue the liability of those who have allegedly committed offences under the National Security Law outside Hong Kong.”

Ho noted that despite the show of force from police, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have all previously suspended the extradition agreement with Hong Kong after the national security law was imposed.

Andy Wong, policy researcher for the Ontario-based NGO Canada-Hong Kong Link, echoed Mr. Ho’s view that the arrest warrant was largely a “political symbol.”

“This whole thing is more symbolic than really doing anything in terms of really trying to catch these people, but it’s ... politically symbolic,” Mr. Wong told The Epoch Times.

He said the warrant was intended to have a “deterrent effect,” pointing to the impact of the news on pro-democracy protesters outside of Chinese territories.

“The spread of fear is there,” he said.

He also raised concerns about the Hong Kong authorities’ increasing alignment with Beijing.

“It kind of worries me in the sense that you will not find the kind of very efficient government, or governance, in Hong Kong because everything is related to politics. Everything is about pleasing the Beijing masters,” Mr. Wong said.