Taiwan, Taiwan
AP
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Hong Kong democratic activists and former lawmakers, who are wanted by city authorities, are granted exile in the UK and Australia, respectively.
Activist Tony Chung, who was jailed under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law, and former MP Ted Hui, who faced trial for his role in the 2019 anti-government protests, both announced over the weekend that they had been vacated in the country they currently live in.
They are one of dozens of activists fleeing Hong Kong authorities. Since Beijing in 2020 imposed a national security law that essentially criminalized opposition to former British colonies, the city’s civil liberties have been heavily eroded. Both Beijing and Hong Kong welcome security laws that bring stability to their financial hubs.
Hui, who fled Hong Kong in December 2020, is part of a group of foreign activists targeting police prizes of up to 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,800). The former lawmaker is currently working as a lawyer in Adelaide.
He announced on Facebook on Saturday that he and his family had been granted a protective visa.
“I am truly grateful to the Australian government (both present and former) for recognizing the need for asylum and recognizing this protection,” Hui wrote. “This decision reflects the values of freedom, justice and compassion that my family never takes for granted.”
While in Hong Kong, Hui was an outspoken democratic lawmaker. He was also known for disrupting legislative meetings after throwing rotten plants into the room to stop debate on the Anthem bill. The controversial law makes it illegal to sham the Chinese national anthem. He was subsequently fined 52,000 Hong Kong dollars ($6,600) under the law.
Cheong, who defended Hong Kong’s independence, was sentenced to almost four years in 2020 for leaving and money laundering. He was released on supervision order, during which he traveled to Japan, from which he fled to England in search of asylum.
In a post on a social media platform thread on Sunday, he expressed his excitement about receiving refugee status in the UK along with a five-year residence permit. He said he continues to be committed to his work despite his challenges over the past few years, including sustained mental health issues.
British and Australian authorities did not immediately comment on the status of activists.
The Hong Kong government did not directly comment on the incident, but issued a statement on Saturday denounced “a hub for all forms of criminals.”
“A country with Hong Kong’s criminals in all ways will be dimbling the rule of law, seriously underestimating Hong Kong’s legal system, and obstructing the situation in Hong Kong to the wild bar,” the statement read.
