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London: Two YouTubers are among the latest Hong Kong activists to have bounties placed on their heads for allegedly breaching national security laws in a development British Foreign Secretary David Cameron says is a threat to democracy and human rights.

Hong Kong placed the new $HK1 million ($191,314) bounties on the heads of five pro-democracy activists, including Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, who host a YouTube channel focusing on current affairs, as well as pro-democracy activists Simon Cheng, Hui Wing-ting and Joey Siu.

The five activists now wanted by the Hong Kong police.Credit: X

The group of activists fled to the United States and Britain during Beijing’s takeover with the imposition of the National Security Law.

Steve Li, chief superintendent of Hong Kong’s police national security department, said authorities received some 500 pieces of information since the last round of bounties was announced relating to eight other activists, including some living in Australia, in July. While some of the information was valuable to the police, no arrests have yet been made.

Li said the five activists added to the wanted list had committed various offences, including colluding with foreign forces and incitement to secession.

“They all betrayed their own country and betrayed Hong Kong,” he said in the news conference. “After they fled overseas, they continued to engage in activities endangering national security.”

Cheng worked for the British government in Hong Kong and was detained for two weeks and treated in a manner that then UK foreign secretary Dominc Raab said amounted to torture.

Cheng was released and sought asylum in the UK where he now lives.

“Being hunted by China (Hong Kong)’s secret police, under a one-million-dollar bounty, is a lifelong honour,” Cheng said on X.

“If the government deems the quest for democracy and freedom a crime, we embrace the charges to reveal the genuine face of social justice, unyielding to authority.”

Cameron, who has come under attack for his previous paid work in advocating for China since stepping down as prime minister in 2016, said he had asked diplomats to raise the matter urgently.

“I have instructed officials in Hong Kong, Beijing and London to raise this issue as a matter of urgency with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities,” he said in a statement.

“We will not tolerate any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK. This is a threat to our democracy and fundamental human rights.

“We call on Beijing to repeal the National Security Law and end its persecution of political activists.”

Frances Hui from the Committee for Freedom, Hong Kong Foundation said when she fled to the US, it was inevitable that the CCP would try to hunt her down.

“I knew from the day I left Hong Kong to seek asylum in the US, that this was an inevitable outcome,” she said.

“Through my decade-long activism, I have witnessed and experienced the extent of the CCP’s harassment and intimidation of people who hold different views to them.

“Once again, I call on the international community, particularly, the US, UK, and Australia where the bountied individuals are residing, to fight against the CCP’s transnational repression, interference, and international human rights abuses.”

It is the second round of bounties that Hong Kong authorities have imposed. The first targeted Hong Kongers also living in Australia, including former legislator Ted Hui.

With AP

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