Exclusive | ‘Dozens of Hong Kong residents’ on police national security ‘wanted’ list, including for crowdfunding drives
- Sources say all Hong Kong residents, but that most had fled the city, with majority in North America, Britain or Australia
- Insiders also admit foreign law enforcement agencies are unlikely to help return alleged offenders to Hong Kong
The news on Tuesday came a day after police offered rewards of HK$1 million (US$127,700) a head for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of eight opposition figures.
“[Those being sought by national security police] are all Hong Kong residents. Some of them hold foreign passports, but have the right of abode in the city and are considered local citizens,” the source said.
He added they all left the city just before or after the law came into force in 2020 and that most of them were in Australia, Europe and North America at present.
Some of them have been involved in crowdfunding activities worldwide and the source said that one activist could raise hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars in a month.
The source warned supporters could be considered to be in breach of the national security law if their donations were used to fund offences such as the promotion of secession or subversion.
But he admitted police could do little to stop that type of activity because the bank accounts used to collect donations were based outside Hong Kong.
He and another government source also admitted it was unlikely that overseas law enforcement agencies would help catch those on the list.
Hong Kong national security law: police offer HK$1 million rewards for arrest of 8
They explained they could be considered political refugees who were usually not listed as wanted through Interpol’s “red notice” programme.
National security police have arrested 260 people aged from 15 to 90 since the law came into force on June 30, 2020.
The force said 161 people and five companies had been charged. A total of 79 have been convicted.
The eight with a price on their heads are former legislators Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and Ted Hui Chi-fung, trade unionist Mung Siu-tat, lawyer Kevin Yam Kin-fung, and activists Finn Lau Cho-dik, Anna Kwok Fung-yee and Elmer Yuan Gong-yi.
Police said seven of the eight had appealed for international sanctions against Hong Kong.
Another source said the eight were singled out because they were alleged to have been involved in serious crimes.
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Hong Kong national security law: HK$1 million bounties for arrests of political fugitives overseas
They were also said to have taken part in activities that endangered national security to a greater degree than others on the wanted list.
But critics questioned the effectiveness of the bounty offer because the countries the activists lived in – Australia, Britain and the United States – had suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong after Beijing’s imposition of the national security law on the city.
They added that alleged political offences were also usually exempted from extradition agreements.
The Post has learned that others on the wanted list include ex-legislator Sixtus Baggio Leung Chung-hang, former British consulate employee Simon Cheng Man-kit, as well as activists Sunny Cheung Kwan-yeung and Raymond Wong Toi-yeung.
Hong Kong security chief dares wanted activist Nathan Law to stand trial at home
Cheung is the former spokesman of the Hong Kong Higher Institutions International Affairs Delegation, who lobbied for the US to introduce the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act 2019, legislation which allowed for diplomatic action and economic sanctions against the city’s government.
Three others, Hong Kong independence campaigner Wayne Chan Ka-kui, Lau Hong, a former member of the disbanded separatist group Studentlocalism, and US-based Samuel Chu of the Hong Kong Democracy Council were also put on the list.
Chief Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah of the National Security Department on Monday appealed to wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender themselves, which would guarantee less severe penalties if they were convicted of offences.
Who are the 8 Hongkongers wanted over national security with HK$1 million bounties?
But he added that, under national security law provisions, they would also have to give a truthful account of any offences they were involved in and report any crimes committed by others.
The department has received more than 500,000 tip-offs about possible violations of national security legislation since a special hotline was launched in 2020.
The hotline was set up to give the public a way to relay information, photos, and audio and video clips by SMS, WeChat or email.
Police also stressed that they did not collect or disclose the details of anyone who contacted the hotline.
