HONG KONG – A former British Consulate employee in Hong Kong who said he was tortured by authorities in mainland China last year received asylum in Britain.
The disappearance of consulate worker Simon Cheng last year during the height of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong highlighted the problems that had sparked months of protest. Hong Kongers took to the streets in part out of fear that they might be subject to China’s opaque legal system as mainland Chinese officials expand their reach over people in Hong Kong, a former semi-autonomous colony.
“I am grateful for the determination and courage shown by the UK government to rescue British citizens,” Cheng wrote on Facebook about a photo of the letter granting him asylum. “I also hope that my case can be a precedent for other Hong Kong people to seek protection.”
The British Foreign Office could not immediately be reached for comment.
The asylum for Mr. Cheng came amid scattered riots in Hong Kong on Wednesday after China imposed a national security law in Hong Kong that seeks to suppress protests against the Beijing government. The move has sparked recriminations from other nations against China and has raised fears that it marks the end of the “one country, two systems” framework that has distinguished the territory.
Hong Kong police, who made several arrests under the law during protests on Wednesday, said a 24-year-old man suspected of stabbing a police officer was arrested early Thursday morning at the city airport. Local media said he had been preparing to leave for London.
The British government confirmed on Wednesday plans to open a path for up to three million Hong Kong people to obtain British citizenship. The country’s foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said the decision was in response to the new security law “serious and deeply disturbing.”
Raab called the law a violation of the Joint Declaration, the 1984 treaty under which Britain agreed to return Hong Kong in 1997. He said the law violated the city’s autonomy, threatened civil rights and undermined judicial independence.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the law “scandalous and an affront to all nations,” because according to one of its articles, even non-Hong Kong residents could be punished for breaking Chinese law.
Last year, Mr. Cheng, 29, traveled from Hong Kong to the mainland city of Shenzhen for a business conference. Police arrested him on his return to Hong Kong at the city’s high-speed train station, part of which is under continental jurisdiction.
He was held for 15 days, during which, he said, he was hooded, hung for hours in an extended eagle position and beaten to force him to stay awake. Under such abuse, Cheng said, he gave authorities the password for his iPhone, information about the operations of the British Consulate and the names of some Hong Kong protesters.
Mr. Cheng also admitted the prostitution application on video, which was later released by the Chinese police. After his release, Mr. Cheng denied the charges against him and insisted that his confession had been forced. Police have often released confession videos in high-profile cases, which legal experts say are meant to show the state’s authority over people.
Mr. Cheng said that his decision to leave Hong Kong had been the result of political persecution and that he hoped to return one day.
“Leaving does not mean an end but a beginning,” he added. “We will continue the fight against expanding totalitarianism and return to our hometown with true democracy and freedom.”
The case strained diplomatic relations between China and Britain, and Beijing’s new national security law threatens to further damage those ties.
Mr. Raab said that Britain would grant the approximately 350,000 British passport holders abroad and an additional 2.5 million who are eligible the right to remain in the country for five years and then transition to apply for citizenship.
The British National Passport Abroad was created for Hong Kong residents, but did not grant them citizenship rights.
The Chinese embassy in London on Thursday rejected the new British citizenship path for passport holders abroad.
“If the British side makes unilateral changes in relevant practice, it will violate its own position and promises, as well as international law and the basic rules governing international relations,” the embassy said in a statement. “We strongly oppose this and reserve the right to take appropriate action.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia said Thursday that he was “very actively” considering proposals to provide support to Hong Kong residents. “There are proposals that I asked to be presented several weeks ago, and the finishing touches will be put on them and they will soon be considered by the cabinet,” he added.
Mr. Morrison did not say what kind of terms of residence would be offered under the proposals or how many Hong Kongers would be included.
