Exiled Hong Kong activists in UK defiant about HK$1m bounties for their arrest | Hong Kong

Three Hong Kong exiles living in the UK have said they will not be intimidated and will continue to speak out after authorities in the former British territory issued HK$1m bounties for their arrest.

Hong Kong police on Monday offered a reward equal to about £100,000 per person for information leading to the arrest of eight activists, including three in the UK – Nathan Law, Finn Lau and Mung Siu-tat.

The eight are all accused by Hong Kong authorities of breaching the territory’s highly controversial national security law, which was brought in three years ago and grants authorities sweeping extraterritorial powers to prosecute acts or comments made anywhere in the world that it deems criminal.

The Hong Kong leader, John Lee, told reporters that the only way for the activists to “end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender” and urged “them to give themselves up as soon as possible”.

Law, 29, who was granted asylum in the UK, told the Guardian that the move to place a bounty on political activists was “unprecedented”.

“It shows the government is sending a strong signal basically telling everyone around the world that no matter where you are and in which country, as long as you are advocating for harsher stance towards China and holding them accountable, you will be subjected to the national security law,” he said. “It’s a show of force and a demonstration of how draconian the law is.”

Law, who in 2016 at the age of 23 became the youngest person to be elected as a lawmaker in the history of the legislative council of Hong Kong, said having a bounty was “a strange feeling”.

“I’ve been wanted with other charges, the national security bureau has said I have been wanted under the national security law for the last two years,” he said. “I’ve been living a quite discreet life, trying to protect myself as much as I can but having a bounty on my head it will make me paranoid, whether there are people overhearing information including about my daily life so there is a strange feeling.”

However, Law, who left Hong Kong in 2020, said the move felt “more symbolic” as there were “limited ways” for Hong Kong and Chinese authorities to get to him and the other activists. He added he would continue to speak out against the national security law and on other political issues.

“Being wanted is not new for me,” he said. “The bounty is but being wanted isn’t. I will keep working on my advocacy work and raising Hong Kong issues.”

Lau, 29, told the Guardian the authorities in Hong Kong were frustrated that the multiple extradition agreements between China and countries such as the UK, Germany and others have been suspended.

“They are trying to resort to other ways, other informal ways to catch us,” he said. “It may incentivise people – some may be pro Chinese Communist party – to do this sort of dirty work.

“On the other hand, it’s a chance to deter people like myself or some other activists – other than eight of us – to do less and this can serve as a threat maybe some kind of warning to other political dissidents.”

Lau, the founder of activist groups Hong Kong Liberty and Stand with Hong Kong, said he was not intimidated by the latest move.

“I have developed a thick skin after 2020 after my first arrest warrant,” he said. “I was nervous, I was stressed … I am so determined to continue to fight for the Hong Kong movement.”

Mung, 51, said the charges levelled against him under the national security law, forcing him into self exile, had nothing to do with Hong Kong independence, branding them “ridiculous”.

“What the regime is trying to do is the suppression of freedom of speech, to deter people from criticising this behaviour and violation of human rights and worker rights with charges of secession – that is a political charge,” he said.

He said by issuing bounties, the Chinese government was trying “to spread fear not only in Hong Kong, but outside Hong Kong”. “That is really worrying,” he said. “They are trying to silence the people not only in Hong Kong but also the diaspora overseas.”

“I still believe they cannot eliminate all the resistance and the will to rebel of the Hong Kong people against dictatorship. At least for me, I will stand firm on my position in support for democracy and freedom. I will continue doing what I’m doing for my international advocacy, to speak out the truth for Hong Kong people. I will not stop, I will continue.”

As well as Law, Lau and Mung, others targeted by the arrest bounties were: Kevin Yam, Anna Kwok, Dennis Kwok, Ted Hui, and Gong-yi, all high-profile pro-democracy activists, former lawmakers and legal scholars who are accused of continuing to violate the national security law while in exile.