Hong Kong announces bounties on five pro-democracy activists living abroad

Hong Kong authorities on Thursday added five more pro-democracy activists based overseas to a list of wanted people over alleged national security offences. And slapped bounties of 1 million Hong Kong dollars, or just shy of $130,000, on each of them. It’s part of a continuing crackdown on dissent under the city’s national security law imposed by Beijing. The five join a list of eight wanted persons first announced in July. Steve Li, Hong Kong’s national security police chief, said the allegations against them include: “The incitement to successions, incitement to subversion, and the collusion with a foreign country or with an external element to endanger national security.” The five are now in various countries, including the U.S. and Britain. One of them, activist Joey Siu, is an American citizen. She told Reuters this showed “the extraterritorial reach of the national security law and the chilling effect that follows.” The U.S. State Department on Thursday condemned what it called “egregious actions” taken by Hong Kong. Spokesperson Matthew Miller: “We deplore any attempt to deploy the Beijing-imposed national security law extra-territorially and reiterate that Hong Kong authorities have no jurisdiction within United States borders where the advocates for democracy and freedom will continue to enjoy their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights.” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also said the UK “...will not tolerate any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities” in the country. Earlier this month, another prominent activist, Agnes Chow, announced that she had traveled to Canada and would jump bail over a national security offence. On Thursday, police said if she did not return to the city to meet her bail conditions, she would become a fugitive. They also said they’ve arrested four people in Hong Kong for providing funds to two other wanted activists now based overseas – the first arrests on financial assistance grounds under the national security law.