In Hong Kong, wanted suspects can fetch a high price. Information leading to the prosecution of a man accused of murder can lead to a reward of HK$300,000 (£30,200). For two men wanted in connection with an arson case that killed 17 people, the incentive goes up to HK$400,000. But the highest prize goes to those who can help capture eight overseas-based pro-democracy activists who are accused of violating Hong Kong’s national security law. For them, the bounties are HK$1m each. For several of the accused, the warrants came as…
Tag: Hong Kong
Australia-based lawyer Kevin Yam vows ‘not to shut up’ after Hong Kong arrest warrant
An Australian citizen targeted by a Hong Kong arrest warrant has vowed not to be silenced, saying he feels an obligation to jailed fellow pro-democracy activists “not to shut up”. Kevin Yam, a lawyer who lived in Hong Kong for 20 years before returning to Australia last year, was one of eight overseas-based activists accused by the city’s police on Monday of breaching its sweeping national security law. Yam, who has criticised the crackdown on dissent and erosion of judicial independence in Hong Kong, told Guardian Australia: “I kind of…
China accuses UK of protecting ‘fugitives’ after bounty put on Hong Kong democracy activists
China has accused the UK of protecting fugitives after the British foreign secretary criticised Hong Kong’s decision to offer HK$1m bounties for the arrest of eight democracy activists based overseas, as the territory’s leader said the group would be “pursued for life”. In a statement late on Monday, China’s embassy in London said: “British politicians have openly offered protection for fugitives. This is crude interference in Hong Kong’s rule of law and China’s internal affairs.” The embassy called on British politicians to “stop using these anti-China Hong Kong disruptors to…
Australia news live: Penny Wong ‘deeply disappointed’ by Hong Kong arrest warrants; borrowers await rates decision
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Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for eight overseas democracy activists
Hong Kong police have issued arrest warrants for eight overseas activists, accusing them of contravening the city’s national security law and offering a reward of HK$1m (£100,700) per person. Supt Steve Li Kwai-wah, a police officer, told a press conference on Monday that Nathan Law, Anna Kwok, Finn Lau, Dennis Kwok, Ted Hui, Kevin Yam, Mung Siu-tat and Yuan Gong-yi, high-profile pro-democracy activists, former lawmakers and legal scholars, “have encouraged sanctions … to destroy Hong Kong”, according to Reuters. The eight, who are based in various places including the UK…
Hong Kong protesters allegedly attacked by Chinese activists in Southampton
Police are investigating after footage emerged apparently showing pro-Hong Kong demonstrators being violently attacked by a group of Chinese activists in Southampton. The alleged incident occurred after a rally to mark the anniversary of the 2019 protests for democratic changes in Hong Kong. Hampshire constabulary said they had received a report about a “hate-related assault” in Southampton, while Hong Kong community leaders denounced what they called a “blatant violation of the fundamental principles of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and the right to protest”. The group Hongkongers in Britain said:…
Hong Kong Asks Court to Stop Protest Anthem From Circulating Online
After “Glory to Hong Kong” emerged as the unofficial anthem of pro-democracy demonstrators in 2019, the government of Hong Kong has tried to stifle its use. It has banned the song from schools. When it was played in error last year instead of the Chinese national anthem at a rugby match in South Korea, the Hong Kong government demanded an investigation. This week the authorities asked a court to ban the public performance and online dissemination of “Glory to Hong Kong.” The move could ensnare U.S. technology companies like Google…
Communist party accessed TikTok data of Hong Kong protesters, former executive alleges
A former executive at TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has alleged that the Chinese Communist party accessed user data from the social video app belonging to Hong Kong protesters and civil rights activists. Yintao Yu, a former head of engineering at ByteDance’s US operation, claimed in a legal filing that a committee of Communist party members accessed TikTok data that included the users’ network information, Sim card identifications and IP addresses in a bid to identify the individuals and their locations. The claims, in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit brought by Yu…
From the archive: How Hong Kong caught fire: the story of a radical uprising – podcast
We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2020: Hong Kong used to be seen as cautious, pragmatic and materialistic. But protests have transformed the city. As Beijing tightens its grip, how much longer can the movement survive? How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know The Guardian
Torches and T-shirts: Hongkongers defy attempts to forget Tiananmen
For the past three years, Hong Kong authorities have gone to great lengths to stop people from lighting candles in Victoria Park and publicly commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre – an annual tradition tens of thousands of residents had kept alive for three decades since the bloody crackdown in 1989. This year, the city took it a step further. On Sunday, in place of a mass vigil was a patriotic carnival held by pro-Beijing groups, celebrating the city’s return to Chinese rule with food booths, and dance and music performances.…