HONG KONG: Hong Kong chief executive John Lee said on Tuesday (Jul 4) eight overseas-based Hong Kong activists who were issued with arrest warrants for alleged national security offences, would be “pursued for life”.
“The only way to end their destiny of being an absconder who will be pursued for life is to surrender,” Lee told reporters.
Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants for the eight overseas-based activists on Monday, accusing them of national security offences, including foreign collusion and incitement to secession, and offered rewards for information leading to their arrest.
The accused are activists Nathan Law, Anna Kwok and Finn Lau, former lawmakers Dennis Kwok and Ted Hui, lawyer and legal scholar Kevin Yam, unionist Mung Siu-tat, and online commentator Yuan Gong-yi.
The police also offered rewards of HK$1 million (US$127,656) for information leading to each possible arrest.
The activists are based in several countries, including the United States, Britain and Australia.
They are wanted under a national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.
The United States condemned the move through a US State Department spokesman, who said it set “a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world”.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said his government “will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas”.
Both these countries have criticised the national security law for being used to suppress Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government was “deeply disappointed” by the bounties.
“We have consistently expressed concerns about the broad application of the National Security Law to arrest or pressure pro-democracy figures and civil society,” Wong said on Tuesday.
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