By Blessing Chinagorom
The United States has condemned the Hong Kong government’s issuance of new arrest warrants and bounties targeting six overseas democracy activists and the cancellation of passports for seven others.
According to the statement released by the State Department on Thursday while also rejecting Hong Kong government’s efforts to intimidate and silence individuals who choose to make the United States their home.
The statement stated further that the United States does not waver in advocacy for those who are targeted simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
“The extraterritorial application of Hong Kong’s national security laws is a form of transnational repression that threatens U.S. sovereignty and the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world.
“These actions demonstrate Hong Kong authorities’ disregard for international norms and for the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. We call on the Hong Kong government to stop using its national security laws to silence dissent”, the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, AP reports that Hong Kong police on Tuesday announced a fresh round of arrest warrants for six activists based overseas, with bounties set at $1 million Hong Kong dollars for information leading to their arrests.
According to the warrants, the six are wanted for national security offences like secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces, which include Tony Chung, former leader of now-defunct pro-independence group Studentlocalism.
U.K.-based Carmen Lau, a former district councilor and current activist with the Hong Kong Democracy Council, as well as Chloe Cheung, an activist with the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, also had warrants issued against them.
The latest round of warrants signals that the Hong Kong government is targeting vocal critics based abroad.
The government had previously issued two rounds of arrest warrants and bounties for more prominent activists, including ex-lawmakers Ted Hui and Nathan Law.
The increasing number of wanted individuals abroad come as Hong Kong continues to crack down on political dissent following massive anti-government protests in 2019 that resulted in a wave of pro-democracy movements as many outspoken activists have since been jailed, with others fleeing abroad.
