Five More Activists Have HK$1M Bounties

Five more people have HK$1M bounties on their heads

The Hong Kong government continues its fear campaign by putting HK$1 million (US$128,000) bounties on another five people living abroad for violating the national security law.  

There are arrest warrants for Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, who host a YouTube channel on current affairs, and pro-democracy activists Simon Cheng Man-kit, Frances Hui Wing-ting, and Joey Siu. They are either in the United States or Britain.

Siu, an American citizen, wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter that she woke up to the news about the bounty on her head "for exercising my freedoms in my own country", adding, "I will never be silenced, I will never back down."

Li says the five have betrayed Hong Kong

These five people join the eight other activists also abroad, where the Hong Kong authorities claim they will pursue them for life with these bounties. This declaration has drawn criticism from western governments.

Steve Li Kwai-wah is the chief superintendent of the police national security department and said they have received some 500 pieces of information since the first round of bounties were announced, but this has not led to any arrests -- yet.

The five activists added to the list have allegedly committed various offenses, including colluding with foreign forces and incitement to secession.

"They all betrayed their own country and betrayed Hong Kong," he said in a press conference. "After they fled overseas, they continued to engage in activities endangering national security."

To add further fears, police arrested four other people on Wednesday on suspicion of funding former pro-democracy lawmakers, Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Ted Hui Chi-fung through an "online subscription and crowdfunding platform." The four were alleged to have provided financial support to the pair. The amounts ranged from HK$10,000 to HK$120,000 (US$1,280-US$15,400). 

Cheng is "honoured" to be hunted by HK police

It is believed the online platform the police are alluding to is Patreon.

Cheng, who some may remember, worked for the British Consulate in Hong Kong and was detained on a business trip to Shenzhen. He was arrested by Chinese authorities for allegedly "soliciting prostitutes" and after he was released told of how he was physically tortured in a bid to make him confess he was a spy for Britain. He eventually fled to the UK and has been there since.

On X he wrote of his reaction to having a bounty on his head: "Being hunted by China (Hong Kong)'s secret police, under a one-million-dollar bounty, is a lifelong honor."

Even though these activists say it's an honour to have a bounty on their heads, surely this is counterproductive to the Hong Kong government's efforts to try to lure people to visit the city? By creating an atmosphere of fear, how can they entice people to a "Happy Hong Kong"?