Hong Kong’s leader said Tuesday that a group of exiled pro-democracy activists will be “pursued for life.” Police announced a day earlier a reward of HK$1 million (a little over $125,000) in return for any information that could lead to the arrest of any of the eight political dissidents—which includes three former lawmakers—who were accused of violating the Chinese enclave’s controversial National Security Law.
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00:00 Well to be honest I don't feel really safe in the UK,
00:04 but this will not deter myself from continuing the advocacy effort,
00:09 continuing to advocate for more human rights and democracy,
00:12 as well as reducing the dependency on the Chinese market.
00:15 Because this is something that we should do.
00:18 Sometimes we have to take the pain if we want to achieve something.
00:22 When the so-called enemy or when the goal is the Chinese Communist Party,
00:26 this seems invincible,
00:29 but that means that we have to take the great pain.
00:31 So that's why I'm not well scared at all.
00:34 Well this is a quite worrying incident,
00:36 because it may mean a new chapter of a series of arrests in Hong Kong.
00:43 Especially from my personal experience,
00:45 three years ago when I got my first warrant,
00:48 a number of people, more than maybe five people,
00:50 were arrested in two to three days.
00:53 So they may happen, more may come in Hong Kong.
00:56 But having said that, it will not deter myself from,
00:59 or maybe even other activists, from continuing to voice out for Hong Kong.
01:03 And I pray for their safety.
01:05 I hope that they could return home safely.
01:08 Rather, I would say that this is an opportunity to talk about the physical
01:11 or the actual risk of transnational repression going on in the UK,
01:16 or even beyond the UK.
01:18 For example in other democratic countries like Australia or the US.
01:22 Because well for the last few years I've been voicing out,
01:24 talking about the same issue,
01:26 trying to speak to different parliamentarians,
01:29 trying to speak to the Home Office.
01:31 But to be honest I don't get much response from parliamentarians,
01:34 and no response from the UK police as well as the Home Office.
01:38 So maybe this is a way that the UK government will start waking up.
01:43 I don't think I'm facing the immediate risk of arrests,
01:52 because I'm living in the UK.
01:54 As long as I'm not back to Hong Kong, I will not be arrested.
02:01 Of course I have to be more careful.
02:05 For example, when I am taking any transiting flight in different countries,
02:14 I have to care about what kind of relationship of those countries
02:18 with Chinese government,
02:20 whether they have that kind of extradition agreement with Hong Kong government.
02:28 I'm also worried about this kind of arrest warrant might trigger
02:35 and mobilise the so-called little planes to intimidate me and to harass me.
02:45 And that was what happened before.
02:48 I will not be afraid of this kind of intimidation.
02:54 If I stop because of the fear,
02:57 it will only encourage the Chinese government to do more intimidation,
03:03 more arrest warrants to silence the overseas activities,
03:09 and also to make the chilling effect among the diasporas community.