HONG KONG: Hong Kong offered bounties of HK$1 million ($128,728) on Tuesday for six more pro-democracy campaigners deemed to have violated national security laws, and revoked the passports of seven more, as the Asian financial hub keeps up a security campaign.

The move to add more names to Hong Kong’s wanted list comes as the city strives to revive economic growth and refurbish its international reputation after a years-long crackdown on dissent that attracted global criticism.

Chris Tang, the security secretary, accused the group, all based overseas in countries such as Britain and Canada, of the crimes of incitement to secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces.

The six included Britain-based commentator Chung Kim-wah, former head of a pro-independence group Tony Chung, Carmen Lau of the Hong Kong Democracy Council and Chloe Cheung from the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation.

“(I) will not back down only because of an arrest warrant and a bounty,” Lau wrote on X. “And I hope to have every one of you standing with me in this fight for Hong Kong.” On Instagram, Cheung, 19, wrote, “Fear cannot res­train me, and suppression cannot silence me.” China and Hong Kong authorities have defended the clampdown under sweeping nat­ional security laws, saying stability has been restored after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Greg May, the US Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau, said on social media platform X that Washington denounces the new bounties and the cancellation of passports, calling on Hong Kong to “stop using its national security laws to silence dissent.” Also on X, European Union foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni said in a statement that the EU condemned the new round of arrest warrants against activists in exile.

“The continued extraterritorial application of the National Security Law adds to our concerns and hurts the citys attractiveness as an international business hub.”

Separately, British foreign minister David Lammy called on the Hong Kong authorities “to end their targeting of individuals in the UK and elsewhere who stand up for freedom and democracy.”

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2024