Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants for six pro-democracy activists living in exile, the first time that city authorities used a new law to attack activists living outside of Hong Kong.
They include Samuel Chu, a US citizen living in the US, Nathan Law, a prominent activist who recently moved to the UK after fleeing Hong Kong, and Simon Cheng, a former British consular staff member who received asylum in the UK after alleging that he was tortured in China.
Chinese state media reported that the six men were wanted for “incitement to secession and collusion with foreign forces.”
The move comes a month after China introduced a controversial national security law in Hong Kong. China said the legislation attacks the crimes of “secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces” and carries penalties as severe as life imprisonment.
Critics cautioned that it would be used to attack legitimate opposition and highlighted the unusual decision to make the law applicable to both Hong Kong residents and non-residents. That apparently gives China jurisdiction beyond its own borders.
Chu, who heads the Hong Kong Democracy Council, a Washington DC-based advocacy organization dedicated to promoting Hong Kong’s freedom and democracy, is the first person to target this aspect of the law.
He said China was sending a clear message to other activists by ordering his arrest.
“It would really emphasize how scandalous this really is,” Chu told the Guardian. “I am the first non-Chinese citizen who is essentially under attack. I think they intend to try to make this an example. “
Since then, several countries have suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany, as possible protection against attempts to use national security laws to rally activists abroad. The United States ordered the end of Hong Kong’s special economic status in early July.
Chu, who has lived in the United States as a US citizen since 1996, said the charges amounted to China “directed at a US citizen for pressuring my own government.”
“We always knew that when the national security law went into effect, there was a very problematic and illogical and irrational idea that they were claiming jurisdiction over anyone who is not even a Hong Kong resident, who is anywhere in the world, doing anything that they considered threatening, “he said.
Hong Kong police are targeting a US citizen for pressuring my own government. I could be the first non-Chinese citizen to be attacked, but I won’t be the last. If I am attacked, any American / any citizen of any nation who speaks for HK can and will too.
We are all Hong Kong now. pic.twitter.com/KQYGcStY1e
– Samuel Chu 朱 牧民 (@samuelmchu) July 31, 2020
The other accused activists were Ray Wong, Wayne Chan and Honcques Laus.
Wong, who is currently in the United Kingdom, told Reuters that the charges showed that the Chinese government was afraid of the defense work of Hong Kong activists internationally.
“I think they want to cut our connection to people in Hong Kong … it will make people fear that they may violate national security law by contacting us,” Wong said.
