The UK has repeated its call on the Chinese regime to repeal the National Security Law on Thursday after new arrest warrants were issued against exiled Hongkongers.
The Hong Kong Police announced bounties on five pro-democracy activists who are residing in countries including the UK and the United States, including Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Joey Siu, Johnny Fok, and Tony Choi.
The individuals were accused of offences under the National Security Law, including incitement to secession and subversion, and collusion with foreign countries or external forces.
After five activists were added to the list on Thursday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he has instructed diplomats in Hong Kong, Beijing, and London to raise the issue “as a matter of urgency.”
“The Hong Kong police have again targeted individuals for exercising their right to freedom of expression,” Lord Cameron said in a statement.
“We will not tolerate any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass, or harm individuals or communities in the UK. This is a threat to our democracy and fundamental human rights,” he said.
“We call on Beijing to repeal the National Security Law and end its persecution of political activists.”
In response, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy accused the UK of “sheltering” people on the wanted list and interfering with Hong Kong-related affairs.
The UK has previously said Beijing’s imposition of the National Security Law on Hong Kong was a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
The rubber-stamped law doesn’t just target acts by residents in Hong Kong.
It also captures acts by foreign nationals on foreign soil.
Mr. Cheng, who was added to the list on Thursday, was accused of both incitement to secession and subversion and collusion with foreign countries or external forces.
The founder of the charity Hongkongers in Britain was an employee of the British Consulate in Hong Kong when he was taken by Chinese police during a business trip in August 2019.
Mr. Cheng has said he was forced to confess that he had “betrayed the motherland” and “solicited prostitution.” He also spoke of being beaten by Chinese security personnel and interrogated about his role in the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and whether the British government was involved.
Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr. Cheng said it’s “a lifelong honour” to be “hunted by China (Hong Kong)’s secret police, under a one-million-dollar bounty.”
“If the government deems the quest for democracy and freedom a crime, we embrace the charges to reveal the genuine face of social justice, unyielding to authority,” he wrote.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, told reporters the United States “deplore any attempt to apply the Beijing-imposed national security law extraterritorially and reiterate that Hong Kong authorities have no jurisdiction within United States borders, where the advocates for democracy and freedom will continue to enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights.”
