Unless the forces of history conspire in their favour, the fate of most exiled dissidents is a slow fade into obscurity. However admirable their cause or brilliant their tactics, it is hard to maintain the world’s interest and support as time passes. Hong Kong’s exiles are conscious of this problem. But it is Hong Kong’s government which has catapulted them back into the spotlight, by placing a bounty of 1m Hong Kong dollars each – around £100,000 – on eight activists. Three of them – Nathan Law, Finn Lau and Mung Siu-tat – now live in the UK.
They were part of the massive uprising that wanted Beijing to uphold the promise it made at the handover in 1997: that Hong Kong could enjoy its way of life and freedoms until 2047. After the authorities crushed resistance there, they tried to keep alive the cause from overseas. For this, they are accused of collusion with foreign forces, incitement of secession, and subversion. Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee, has said the city will pursue them “to the ends of the earth”, and that they must “live in fear” – all for peaceful political advocacy.
Large numbers of those still in the region – including lawmakers, trade unionists and scholars – have already been jailed or are in custody awaiting trial. On Wednesday, police arrested four members of the former political group Demosisto, which Mr Law co-founded, for providing financial support to people who had fled overseas and for “seditious” social media posts.
Most experts think the arrest warrants and bounties will not bring back the exiles. Many countries suspended their extradition agreements with Hong Kong when the draconian national security law was passed. But it may impede activists’ transit through nations with close ties to Beijing, making international campaigning harder, and some fear the bounties might tempt private individuals to attempt kidnaps.
Breeding distrust and splits in the exile community is a bonus, but the primary intent is surely to spread fear – and therefore silence – outside Hong Kong as well as within. The charges relate to campaigning done outside the region, under the sweeping extraterritorial powers granted in the law: it applies to everyone, everywhere. As the lawyer Kevin Yam, one of those named, has pointed out, he is an Australian citizen, exercising the rights to free speech guaranteed by Australia, in Australia. Yet Beijing scolds other countries for interfering in its domestic affairs and has already accused Britain of protecting “fugitives” after the foreign secretary, James Cleverly, rightly criticised the bounties. Rishi Sunak should now speak up too, as the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has done.
Hong Kong has sought to tempt tourists with airline ticket giveaways, and woo back business. This spring, the British investment minister, Dominic Johnson, became the first UK minister to visit Hong Kong for five years, dismaying activists. Yet now the region is highlighting the risks that even foreigners face. That’s not an easy sell. China will always prioritise political control, even when economic times are tough. But it also risks further embarrassment. There are calls for the US to bar Mr Lee from attending the APEC summit in Los Angeles later this year. In a promotional video released in February, the chief executive told viewers that Hong Kong was “a world city like no other”. No kidding. Businesses and governments should hark his words and act accordingly.
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