Australia hits out at Hong Kong bounty for national security law suspects: ‘it’s just unacceptable’
- Australia ‘will disagree’ with China ‘where we must’, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters, adding ‘we do disagree over human rights issues’
- Of the eight suspects wanted under the national security law that Hong Kong police have put a US$127,000 bounty upon, two are now based in Australia
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday it was “unacceptable” that Hong Kong has put bounties on two Australian residents who are among eight overseas democracy activists wanted under a national security law.
“It’s just unacceptable,” Albanese said of Hong Kong’s announcement in a Nine television interview. “We will continue to cooperate with China where we can, but we will disagree where we must. And we do disagree over human rights issues.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia was concerned by the broad application of the national security law to arrest or pressure pro-democracy figures and civil society.
The other accused activists are Nathan Law, Anna Kwok and Finn Lau, former Dennis Kwok, lawyer, unionist Christopher Mung, and online commentator Elmer Yuen.
“The only way to end their destiny of being an abscondee who will be pursued for life is to surrender,” Lee told reporters on Tuesday.
The activists are based in several countries, including the United States, Britain and Australia.
Global police agency Interpol said in a statement that as of Tuesday it had not received requests for a Red Notice or Wanted Persons Diffusion for the eight individuals mentioned.
The agency said member countries can ask Interpol to issue a Red Notice for an individual who is the subject of a valid national arrest warrant, but added requests are reviewed for compliance with Interpol rules and human rights, and assess whether the individual concerned is a refugee or political activist.
I’m never going to back down, even though there’s a bounty on my head
A US State Department spokesman said the Hong Kong move sets “a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people all over the world.”
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said his government “will not tolerate any attempts by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and overseas”.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the eight had been at the “vanguard of external anti-China forces’ intervention in Hong Kong affairs” and that the moves were necessary to safeguard national security.
She also expressed “resolute opposition to individual countries’ blatant denigration of Hong Kong’s national security laws and interference in the legal system [of Hong Kong].”
Anna Kwok, one of the activists who is now based in the US capital Washington, said in an interview following the announcement that she would continue highlighting China’s crackdown on freedoms and the rule of law in Hong Kong.
“I believe the values we’re fighting for are right. And that’s why I’m never going to stop, and I’m never going to back down, even though there’s a bounty on my head,” she said.
Chief Executive Lee said authorities would continue to “monitor” the actions and behaviour of the eight while overseas, without giving specifics on how authorities would do this.
“We want them to know that we will not sit and do nothing,” Lee said, who also appealed to members of the public to provide information on the activists.
