Beijing defends bounties offered for Hong Kong dissidents abroad

Hong Kong police announce a new list of five Hongkongers that they want to arrest for alleged national security crimes, at a press conference in Hong Kong, Friday

China on Friday defended controversial bounties offered for the capture of Hong Kong dissidents who have fled abroad that have been criticized by foreign governments and human rights groups.

Rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000) have been offered for information leading to the capture of 13 opposition figures accused of violating the semi-autonomous Chinese city’s National Security Law.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China rejected the outside criticism, saying the arrest orders were “necessary and justified and … in line with international law and practice.”

Without directly mentioning the bounties, Mao said other countries also have extraterritorial aspects to their laws on national security, adding that foreign governments’ support for those on the list was merely cover for their aim of destabilizing Hong Kong.

“We strongly oppose and deplore the individual countries slandering Hong Kong’s national security law and interfering in the judicial system,” Mao told reporters at a daily briefing.

A day earlier, Hong Kong police accused another five overseas-based activists of violating the National Security Law imposed by Beijing, and offered rewards for their arrests.

Mao said the five “endangered national security by destabilizing Hong Kong under the guise of democracy and human rights.”

One of the five, Joey Siu, is a United States citizen who was born in North Carolina and moved to Hong Kong as a child.

“This morning I, a U.S. citizen, woke up to the news that an arrest warrant & a HKD $1 million bounty have been placed on my head by the Hong Kong govt. for exercising my freedoms in my own country,” Siu posted on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.

“More to say later but for now: I will never be silenced, I will never back down,” Siu wrote. The police notice listed her alleged crimes as “colluding with a foreign nation or overseas forces to endanger national security.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement dated Friday that Hong Kong authorities displayed their “disregard for international norms and human rights in Hong Kong.”

“We strongly oppose any efforts to intimidate and silence individuals who choose to make the United States their home and will not waver in standing up for those who are targeted simply for exercising their human rights,” he said.

The Hong Kong government in response said that the measures taken were “in line with the international practice,” and said no country should “harbour criminals nor exonerate these people with different excuses.”

The latest arrest warrants were issued for Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, who host a YouTube channel focusing on current affairs, and pro-democracy activists Simon Cheng, Hui Wing-ting and Joey Siu. Those on the wanted list are believed to be living in self-exile mainly in Britain, the U.S. and Australia.

In July, Hong Kong warned eight other activists who now live abroad that they would be pursued for life with bounties put on them. It was the first such use of bounties under the security law, and the authorities’ announcement drew criticism from Western governments.

Police have arrested people on suspicion of providing funds for some of those who have fled abroad. MDT/AP