Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK “will not tolerate” the Chinese regime’s attempts to silence overseas dissidents after Hong Kong national security police put out arrest warrants and bounties against eight pro-democracy activists in exile.
The Chinese embassy accused the UK of “sheltering wanted criminals” and interfering with “the rule of law” and China’s internal politics.
The wanted list, announced on Monday by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, included three individuals in the UK—former legislative council Nathan Law, trade unionist Mung Siu-tat, and pro-democracy activist Finn Lau.
Mung was accused of inciting secession, Lau was accused of undermining national security by colluding with foreign forces, and Law was accused of both.
Others include U.S. and Australian residents Dennis Kwok, Ted Hui, Anna Kwok, Kevin Yam, and Elmer Yuen, each charged with similar offences and had a bounty of 1 million Hong Kong dollars (£100,641 or $127,654) against them.
Cleverly said the UK “will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas.
“The UK will always defend the universal right to freedom of expression and stand up for those who are targeted,” he said.
“We strongly object to the national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong, including its extraterritorial reach, in breach of the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration.”
Cleverly called on Beijing to remove the national security law and urged Hong Kong authorities to “end their targeting of those who stand up for freedom and democracy.”
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 imposed the national security law in Hong Kong on June 30, 2020, targeting so-called session, subversion of state power, and collusion with foreign forces.
The law targets residents and organisations in Hong Kong, as well as non-residents who violate the law anywhere in the world.
The Chinese embassy in London voiced “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition,” accusing “British politicians” of “openly sheltering wanted criminals.”
“This is a gross interference with the rule of law in Hong Kong and China’s internal affairs,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
The statement labelled the wanted individuals “anti-China agitators” and said it’s “constitutional and legal” to arrest and punish them.
Announcing the wanted list on Monday, Steve Li, chief superintendent of the national security police, said 260 people aged between 15 and 90 had been arrested under the national security law, with 161 individuals and five companies charged, and 79 people convicted.
Law, Lau, and another British resident, Simon Cheng, have all been wanted by Hong Kong police since 2020 soon after the national security law took effect.
Law, founder of disbanded political party Demosisto, left Hong Kong shortly before the law took effect for the UK where he previously studied.
Lau, founder of Hong Kong Liberty who’s wanted for lobbying foreign governments to sanction Hong Kong officials, left Hong Kong in January 2020 after being detained for two days.
Cheng, formerly an employee at the British embassy in Hong Kong, left for London in 2019 after he was detained and allegedly tortured by Chinese public security officials during a business trip to China.
British citizen, media mogul Jimmy Lai, has also been charged with undermining national security by colluding with foreign forces. If he’s convicted, he may face a life sentence.
The 75-year-old founder of Next Digital and Apply Daily is already serving a five years and nine months sentence after he was convicted of multiple offences including fraud and involvement in unauthorised assemblies.
