Ashley Wong is a regulation pupil at CUHK and JURIST’s Deputy Bureau Chief in Hong Kong.
On July 3, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) offered HK$1 million bounties for every arrest of eight exiled democracy activists, who’re accused of violating the National Security Law. That is the primary time Hong Kong has provided bounties with respect to its Nationwide Safety Regulation, which was promulgated and utilized in Hong Kong on June 30, 2020, to safeguard nationwide safety.
The eight fugitives – activists Finn Lau Cho-dik, Anna Kwok Fung-yee, and Elmer Yuan Gong-yi; former legislators Nathan Regulation Kwun-chung, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, and Ted Hui Chi-fung; lawyer Kevin Yam Kin-fung; and unionist Mung Siu-tat – have all fled Hong Kong and are understood to be in nations corresponding to Australia, Canada, Britain, and the US.
In its press launch, HKPF acknowledged that every one eight of them:
… are alleged to have continued to commit offences below the Hong Kong Nationwide Safety Regulation that significantly endanger nationwide safety, together with ‘incitement to secession’, ‘subversion’, ‘incitement to subversion’ and ‘collusion with a overseas nation or with exterior components to hazard nationwide safety. Thus, the Police utilized to the courtroom for the arrest warrants in accordance with the regulation and put the individuals on the wished listing.
In keeping with Articles 37 and 38 of the Nationwide Safety Regulation, the regulation applies to everlasting residents, included our bodies, and unincorporated our bodies – established in Hong Kong – that commit an offence outdoors the area. The regulation additionally applies to non-permanent residents of Hong Kong who violate the regulation outdoors the area.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR) additionally expressed on July 3 that it helps the HKPF’s Nationwide Safety Division close to arresting the eight activists. It acknowledged in its press launch that:
The HKSAR Authorities steadfastly safeguards nationwide sovereignty, safety and improvement pursuits, and unswervingly, absolutely and faithfully implements the highest precept of ‘one nation, two methods’. It’s the constitutional accountability of the HKSAR to safeguard nationwide safety, and it’s the widespread accountability of all of the folks in China, together with the folks of Hong Kong, to safeguard the sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity of the Folks’s Republic of China. The HKSAR Authorities shall proactively stop, suppress and impose punishment for any act and exercise endangering nationwide safety in accordance with the Nationwide Safety Regulation and different related legal guidelines[.]
Disapproving of the arrest warrant, Yam said “[i]t’s my responsibility … to proceed to talk out towards the crackdown that is occurring proper now, towards the tyranny that’s now reigning over the town that was as soon as one of many freest in Asia.” As well as, Kwok acknowledged “[o]ne key factor I urge President Biden to do instantly is to say a robust and agency NO to John Lee’s potential entry into america for November’s APEC assembly in San Francisco … He’s the person who has orchestrated the far-reaching transnational repression.”
In the meantime, Hong Kong Chief Govt John Lee has additionally demonstrated help for the HKPF’s Nationwide Safety Division in arresting the eight activists. He proffered that:
I’m in help of the Police’s motion. It’s not simply that this is a vital responsibility they need to do. However it’s to attempt to get as a lot help as potential from law-abiding residents. A variety of them really feel a robust accountability to guard nationwide safety, and I believe they are going to be happy to offer data to the Police … I additionally need to inform the criminals that, properly, the one solution to finish their future of being an abscondee who might be pursued for all times is to give up.
Because the Nationwide Safety Regulation was handed, 260 individuals between the ages of 15 and 90 have been arrested in contravention of the regulation. Whereas critics have condemned the regulation for undermining human rights in Hong Kong, the regulation has seemingly ended the 2019-2020 anti-government protests, which resulted in a weakened financial system, broken site visitors lights, and faculty closures.
Whereas the concept of a bounty could initially come throughout as stunning, it will maybe not be stunning if individuals with data disclose what they know to say the bounty. In spite of everything, Hong Kong has persistently been ranked as probably the most costly cities to dwell in and a colossal variety of Hong Kongers are careworn about the price of dwelling within the metropolis. Moreover, a mess of Hong Kong residents dwell in clustered properties with restricted private house, in a metropolis the place housing is the least (or one of many least) inexpensive on the planet.
As a Particular Administrative Area, Hong Kong is ruled below the “one nation, two methods” precept and its rule of regulation gives sure benefits, for instance regulation tax charges for companies, within the area. That is distinctive to Hong Kong and doesn’t apply to the mainland, as such, Hong Kong and the mainland might complement their strengths and weaknesses to try for future prosperity and improvement.
Finally, violence is probably not the best solution to advocate for change.
Source / Picture: jurist.org
