American author documenting Hong Kong protests since 2011 says he was denied entry to city for testifying before US Congress on anti-government protests

Dan Garrett says he has documented more than 600 demonstrations and marches in Hong Kong since 2011

He recently urged US to respond to ‘China’s ongoing erosion of Hongkongers’ democracy and freedoms’

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Dan Garrett told AFP he felt he was not allowed to enter Hong Kong because of his recent testimony to the US Congress and a few “other” reasons. Photo: Handout

Published: 9:42pm, 28 Sep 2019Updated: 11:30pm, 28 Sep 2019

An American author has said he was denied entry to Hong Kong this week after testifying before a US congressional committee on the city’s ongoing protest crisis.

Dan Garrett, who claimed to have documented more than 600 demonstrations and marches in Hong Kong since 2011, said on Saturday he had been turned away on Thursday over unspecified “immigration reasons”.

Garrett, who has lived in or visited Hong Kong for two decades, said it was the first time he had been barred from entering the city. He told Agence France-Presse he felt the ban was related to the testimony and possibly a few “other things”.

The development came days ahead of National Day on October 1, with massive protests expected, and about a week after Garrett testified before the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China. He spoke to lawmakers about the social unrest that erupted in Hong Kong in June, sparked by a now-withdrawn extradition bill.

(From left) Pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong and Denise Ho at the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Photo: Handout

Garrett, testifying alongside pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong Chi-fung and Denise Ho Wan-sze, urged the US to prioritise a resolute response to “China’s ongoing erosion of Hongkongers’ democracy and freedoms” under the “one country, two systems” principle.