On Wednesday, the Hong Kong government revoked the passports of six overseas-based activists under the new national security law, intensifying its crackdown on dissidents abroad.
Among those affected were former pro-democracy lawmaker Nathan Law, unionist Mung Siu-tat, and activists Simon Cheng, Finn Lau, Johnny Fok, and Tony Choi. The authorities in the southern Chinese city accused them of endangering national security and stated that they had “absconded” to the United Kingdom.
Last year, police offered rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars (£96,500) each for information leading to their arrests, drawing sharp criticism from Western governments.
According to an official statement, the authorities also banned anyone from providing funds or economic resources to the six, leasing properties to them, or forming any joint venture with them. Violating these restrictions without authorisation could result in up to seven years in prison.
The government justified its actions by stating that the six individuals were continuing to engage in activities that endanger national security, defame the city, and collude with external forces.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang, in a news briefing, accused some officials, politicians, and media outlets in the UK of attempting to damage the rule of law in Hong Kong and influence judicial decisions in national security cases. He confirmed that the six activists were sheltered in the UK.
“We must combat, deter, and prevent those who have committed offences relating to endangering national security through abscondment,” Tang said. He also clarified that anyone providing funds to the activists, regardless of the platform, would be seen as violating the rules.
The measures were enacted under the new powers granted by Hong Kong’s national security law, implemented in March. A similar law imposed by Beijing in 2020 has effectively suppressed most public dissent following massive anti-government protests in 2019, leading to many activists being arrested, silenced, or forced into self-exile.
Both Chinese and Hong Kong authorities maintain that the law restored stability after the protests.
Since the law’s enactment, over 144,400 people from Hong Kong have moved to the UK using a special visa introduced in 2021, which allows them to live and work in the country and apply for British citizenship after six years. The UK also granted asylum to activists Law and Cheng.
Law stated on Facebook that he had submitted his passport to UK authorities when he applied for asylum in 2020 and has not retrieved it, calling the Hong Kong government’s move “redundant.” He advised those still in Hong Kong to prioritise their safety in light of the new restrictions.
Lau commented on social media that he never owned a Hong Kong passport, describing the cancellation as “ridiculous.” He condemned the latest measure as an act of transnational repression but vowed to continue advocating for human rights and democracy.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian defended the actions of the Hong Kong authorities as legitimate and necessary to safeguard the city’s rule of law and national security. He reiterated that Hong Kong’s affairs are China’s internal matters and “brook no external interference.”
Hong Kong’s political changes have long been a source of tension between the UK and the city government, as well as with Beijing, due to the territory’s unique history as a former British colony returned to China in 1997 with a promise to maintain freedoms of expression and assembly.
Recently, two British judges resigned from Hong Kong’s top court, with one citing the “political situation in Hong Kong” as the reason, and the other criticising the rule of law in the city as being in “grave danger.” The Hong Kong government swiftly criticised these remarks.
In May, UK authorities charged three men with conspiring to gather information, conduct surveillance, and engage in deceptive acts likely to assist the Hong Kong intelligence service. One of the men was later found dead in a park.
Chinese authorities in the UK and Hong Kong condemned the charges, calling them the latest in a series of “groundless and slanderous” accusations from the UK government against China.
AP
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