Hong Kong leader vows to pursue 8 activists 'for life' over alleged national security offences

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee vowed Tuesday to prosecute 8 pro-democracy activists "for life" aft they were targeted with apprehension warrants for alleged nationalist information offences.

"Endangering nationalist information is simply a superior transgression and the [Hong Kong] authorities volition enforce the instrumentality strictly. The authorities volition usage each ineligible means, and to the champion of our ability, clasp these criminals endangering nationalist information accountable … Even if these fugitives spell to the ends of the Earth, the authorities volition prosecute these criminals for life," Lee said successful Cantonese astatine a property league successful Hong Kong, according to a CNBC translation.

Lee said surrender is the lone solution for them. "Otherwise, they volition beryllium pursued for life, worrying each time astir being arrested and surviving successful fear," helium added.

On Monday, Hong Kong constabulary accused the 8 overseas activists of offences nether the nationalist information law, including overseas collusion, subversion and incitement to succession. The arguable instrumentality was resisted for respective years earlier it was imposed connected Hong Kong successful 2020 aft protracted anti-China protests the twelvemonth before.

Beijing said astatine the time that the authorities was aimed astatine prohibiting secession, subversion of authorities power, coercion activities and overseas interference. Critics judge the information instrumentality undermines the autonomy promised to Hong Kong for 50 years aft it was handed implicit from the U.K. to China on July 1, 1997.

Police person besides offered a reward of 1 cardinal Hong Kong dollars ($127, 715) for accusation starring to the apprehension of each activistic and warned the nationalist it's amerciable to connection them immoderate signifier of fiscal assistance.

The U.S. connected Monday condemned the move, saying "the extraterritorial exertion of the Beijing-imposed National Security Law is simply a unsafe precedent that threatens the quality rights and cardinal freedoms of radical each implicit the world."

The State Department besides called connected the Hong Kong authorities to retreat the "bounty" and halt the planetary assertion of the nationalist information law.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed "deep concern" portion British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the U.K. authorities "will not tolerate immoderate attempts by China to intimidate and soundlessness individuals successful the UK and overseas."

"The U.K. volition ever support the cosmopolitan close to state of look and basal up for those who are targeted," helium said in a statement.

The accused are activists Nathan Law, Anna Kwok and Finn Lau, unionist Mung Siu-tat, online commentator Yuan Gong-yi, erstwhile legislators Dennis Kwok and Ted Hui arsenic good arsenic lawyer and ineligible student Kevin Yam, who is an Australian citizen. Many Hong Kong activists near the metropolis aft it implemented the nationalist information instrumentality and sought asylum successful countries similar the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

The Hong Kong government's charges besides impeach the activists of "instigating" overseas powers to enforce sanctions connected Hong Kong and China.

"I person not accepted immoderate overseas govt funding, nor americium I employed by immoderate govt agencies. I don't judge immoderate commands oregon orders," Law said connected Twitter. "If gathering overseas politicians, attending seminars & hearings are 'colluding with overseas forces,' a batch of HK officials should beryllium successful ineligible trouble."