Hong Kong authorities have intensified their crackdown on 16 overseas activists previously targeted under national security suspicions, introducing new measures that ban financial support to them and revoke passports for most.
These activists were part of a group of 19 individuals who faced arrest warrants in July due to their involvement in the so-called Hong Kong Parliament, which police describe as a subversive foreign organization. This group is unofficial and holds limited influence within the city.
Three of these activists had already been subjected to similar restrictions last year. The current actions include a ban on providing funds or economic assistance to the 16 individuals, among them Victor Ho, Keung Ka-wai, Australian academic Chongyi Feng, and U.S. citizen Gong Sasha, according to a government statement.
In addition, travel documents have been canceled for 12 of the activists who hold Hong Kong passports. Property leasing to those on the list is prohibited, as is forming business partnerships with them. Violators of these rules could face prison sentences of up to seven years.
Officials say the activists, now in countries including the U.K., U.S., Canada, Germany, Australia, Thailand, and Taiwan, continue to engage in activities that threaten national security. The government accused them of attempting to stir up animosity toward Beijing and Hong Kong through misinformation and defamation.
“These measures are designed to have a significant impact,” the statement noted.
Since Beijing enacted a sweeping national security law in 2020, which came in the wake of large anti-government protests in 2019, dissent in Hong Kong has been largely suppressed, with many activists either arrested, silenced, or forced into exile.
The new restrictions were implemented under powers granted by Hong Kong’s own national security legislation passed last year.
The July-issued arrest warrants for the activists have sparked criticism from foreign governments, including those of the U.S., U.K., and European Union. Police have offered rewards ranging from 200,000 to 1 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $25,480 to $127,400) for information leading to the arrests.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned these moves in July, calling the extraterritorial targeting of Hong Kong residents exercising their rights a form of “transnational repression.” He emphasized that attempts to enforce Hong Kong’s national security laws on American soil would not be tolerated.
China’s Foreign Ministry office in Hong Kong rejected the foreign criticisms, insisting the government’s actions are legitimate and necessary to maintain stability in the city.
Both Beijing and Hong Kong authorities maintain that these security laws are essential for preserving order and stability in the territory.
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