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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World

Hong Kong activists in Britain should be able to rely on police protection

Carmen Lau speaks at a protest against a planned new Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court in London on 8 February 2025.
‘The police must act to protect Carmen Lau and other activists’ right to free speech – they must not be complicit in silencing them.’ Photograph: Eleventh Hour Photography/Alamy

The UK has become a hunting ground for authoritarian regimes targeting dissidents, journalists and students. It is appalling that Hong Kong activists who sought refuge here met fear, harassment and intimidation from the government they had escaped, only to receive inadequate protection and little coordinated response (Hong Kong democracy campaigner accuses UK police of asking her to ‘self-censor’, 1 August).

Amnesty International has repeatedly documented the Chinese government’s transnational repression, including the surveillance and intimidation of students and activists here in the UK. This includes an alarming escalation in threats against the Hong Kong community, with bounties placed on the heads of UK-based pro-democracy activists.

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