Hong Kong Watch condemns escalated threats against Hong Kong activists

Today, the Hong Kong national security police went to the apartments of Nathan Law’s parents and brother and took them away for questioning. They were later released without arrest. This is despite Law publicly posting that he cut contact with his family in 2020 and has not contacted them since.

In addition, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Justice Paul Lam lodged complaints to the Hong Kong Bar Association and The Law Society of Hong Kong against ex-lawmaker Dennis Kwok and solicitor Kevin Yam, for “professional misconduct.” Kwok has already been removed from the Hong Kong Bar Association’s website and both may have their professional licenses suspended. 

This escalation follows an announcement by the Hong Kong national security police on 3 July, issuing arrest warrants and bounties of HKD 1 million for information that can lead to the arrest of eight self-exiled activists.

The arrest warrants and bounties were issued for pro-democracy activists Nathan Law, Dennis Kwok, Ted Hui, Kevin Yam, Anna Kwok, Finn Lau, Elmer Yuen, and Christopher Mung. Three out of the eight pro-democracy activists currently reside in the UK, two reside in Australia, and three reside in the United States of America. 

This is the first time that arrest warrants and bounties have been issued in relation to overseas activity related to the National Security Law.

Hong Kong Watch condemned this and also published a joint statement from over 50 Hong Kong civil society organisations urging government action following the Hong Kong National Security arrest warrants and bounties. 

Today, Hong Kong Watch calls on the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to summon the Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang to explain why they are targeting the families of Hongkongers who are under UK protection, including those who received refugee status meaning that the UK has  already recognised the threat.

Furthermore, this is a clear escalation in violating the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which has been breached since 2020. This is a threat to the international rules-based order, which protects Hongkongers and the rest of the world. 

Benedict Rogers, co-founder and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch said: “This is a drastic escalation since last week’s arrest warrants and bounties against the eight activists, which were already outrageous and completely unacceptable. 

The Hong Kong government is openly threatening activists abroad, in an attempt to silence them and spread fear among the community. The Hong Kong National Security Law has no jurisdiction abroad, and governments must protect the rights and freedoms of activists in exile. We must stand up to the Beijing government and stand alongside our courageous friends from Hong Kong.

Additionally, the threats made against activists’ families shows that the situation in Hong Kong is increasingly similar to Mainland China, that Hong Kong’s autonomy under the ‘one country, two systems model’ has been completely dismantled, and that Hong Kong’s authorities are increasingly directly controlled by Beijing.”

港府威脅海外社運人士升級 香港監察要求英國外相召見中國大使解釋

香港警方國安處人員今天到羅冠聰父母及兄長家中把他們帶走問話，其後獲釋，未有被捕。然而，羅冠聰早於2020年已公開與家人斷絕來往，不作聯絡。

此外，香港律政司司長林定國早前就前立法會議員郭榮鏗和律師任建峰向香港大律師公會和香港律師會投訴，指兩人「專業失當」。郭榮鏗現已被在香港大律師公會網站中除名，兩人亦可能因此被取消專業資格。

國安處於7月3日以100萬港元懸紅通緝八名海外社運人士，現將行動升級。

被懸紅通緝的民主派人士包括：前立法會議員羅冠聰、郭榮鏗、許智峯、前法政匯思召集人任建峰、社運人士郭鳯儀、劉祖廸、袁弓夷、以及前職工盟總幹事蒙兆達。八名被通緝港人中有三名現時身處英國；兩名身處澳洲；三名身處美國。

這是港府首次以《國安法》針對海外活動發出懸紅通緝令。

香港監察嚴厲譴責此舉，並與逾50個香港民間組織發表聯合聲明，促請各國政府採取行動回應事件。

今天，香港監察呼籲英國外交、聯邦及發展事務大臣祁湛明（James Cleverly）召見中國駐英國大使鄭澤光，要求他解釋為何針對受英國保護的香港人及其家人，特別是那些已獲得難民身分，亦即已獲英國政府確認受到威脅的人士。

另外，中國當局自2020年起已違反《中英聯合聲明》，現在情況顯然進一步加劇。這對保障香港和世界各國人民、以規則為基礎的國際秩序構成威脅。

香港監察共同創辦人兼行政總監羅傑斯表示：「自上週針對八名社運人士發出的懸紅通緝令以來，事態急劇升級，實在令人髮指而且完全不能接受。

香港政府正公然威脅海外社運人士，試圖把其滅聲並在社區中散播恐懼。《國安法》並沒有海外司法管轄權，各國政府必須保護流亡社運人士的權利和自由。我們必須挺身對抗北京政府，並與勇敢的香港朋友站在同一陣線。

此外，威脅社運人士家人的舉動反映香港的情況與中國大陸愈來愈相似，香港在『一國兩制』下的自治已蕩然無存，而香港當局亦逐漸被北京直接管轄。」