The national security police in Hong Kong have issued arrest warrants for five overseas activists, offering HK$1 million bounties for their capture.
Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Joey Siu, Johnny Fok, and Tony Choi are wanted for alleged offenses under the national security law, as announced during a press conference on Thursday.
Cheng, aged 33, faces accusations of foreign collusion and inciting secession. Hui and Siu, both 24, are accused of colluding with foreign forces.
Cheng, based in London, founded Hongkongers in Britain, supporting Hongkongers settling in the UK. Detained by Chinese authorities in August 2019 during city-wide protests, he was granted asylum by the UK government three years ago.
Hui and Siu, based in Washington DC, hold roles in organizations advocating for freedom in Hong Kong. Fok, 42, and Choi, 46, face accusations of inciting secession and inciting subversion, according to Chief Superintendent Steve Li of the force’s National Security Department.
“All of them, having fled overseas, continue to commit offenses under the national security law, endangering national security through incitement to secession, incitement to subversion, and collusion with foreign countries or external elements,” stated Li.
In a related development, police arrested four individuals on Wednesday with connections to activists Nathan Law and Ted Hui, previously wanted. These individuals, aged 29 to 68, are accused of providing financial assistance to Law and Hui through an online subscription platform between December 2020 and November 2023, with amounts ranging from HK$10,000 to HK$120,000.
