The Facts
- Hong Kong's National Security Department has offered $128K rewards for information leading to the arrest of five individuals based overseas who have been accused of inciting secession and colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security, with Chief Superintendent Li Kwai-wah vowing to pursue them "until the end."
- Police named Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Joey Siu, Johnny Fok, and Tony Choi — who are currently living abroad in several countries including the UK and US — as wanted for alleged offenses under the national security law on Thursday, bringing the figure of self-exiled activists deemed fugitives up to 13.
- As an American citizen, Joey Siu is at least the second activist with foreign citizenship to have a bounty put on her head by the Hong Kong government, after Australian citizen Kevin Yam — a solicitor who has been wanted since July.
Sources Split
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The Spin
Anti-China narrative
Authorities of the semi-autonomous Chinese city have further intensified the crackdown on pro-democracy activists that has been ongoing since 2020, destroying the freedoms promised to Hong Kongers when the former British colony was handed back to Beijing in 1997. As they have no jurisdiction overseas, this act of pure intimidation reveals their disregard for international norms, democracy, and human rights.
Pro-China narrative
The extraterritorial application of Hong Kong's national security law is fully in accordance with the principles of international law and customs, so all the outrage from the US and UK only reflects their unscrupulous goal to promote instability in the Special Administrative Region. Under the pretext of democracy and human rights, these fugitives have engaged in activities to undermine national security.
Metaculus Prediction
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