Exclusive | Hong Kong protesters ‘went to Taiwan in June’ to explore options for asylum
- Group of students travelled to the self-ruled island to find out about seeking refuge there before returning to city, according to sources
- Between a dozen and 60 demonstrators are said to have fled to Taiwan since early July, or are planning to seek shelter there
“Around mid- to late June, a group of students came to Taiwan to research their options for seeking refuge and the conditions for them to remain here under Taiwanese law, at a time of peril in Hong Kong,” said one of the sources, who requested anonymity.
The Hong Kong students did not stay for long and returned to the city after exploring the possibilities in Taiwan, according to the source.
“It was a time when things had turned really chaotic, after Hong Kong police responded to peaceful demonstrations with rubber bullets and after the ‘Raincoat Man’ suicide,” the source said, referring to a 35-year-old man in a yellow raincoat who fell to his death in Admiralty after hanging a banner protesting the now-suspended bill.
“I’m not sure what resources they needed, only one thing – whether Taiwan could provide asylum on political grounds if the situation worsened for them in Hong Kong.”
The source was speaking after Taiwanese activists revealed this week that between a dozen and 60 protesters had arrived from Hong Kong since early July, or were planning to seek shelter in Taiwan.
