Canada Criticizes Hong Kong for Issuing Arrest Warrants for Pro-Democracy Activists, Including Canadians
The Canadian government has strongly criticized Hong Kong officials after they issued arrest warrants for pro-democracy activists living outside the city — including some Canadians.
On Friday, Hong Kong police offered rewards for help in arresting 19 activists who live overseas. They claim these people were part of a group trying to harm China’s government and break national security laws created by Beijing.
In a statement on Saturday, Global Affairs Canada said, “Some of the people targeted under this law are Canadians or have strong ties to Canada.” The government called Hong Kong’s actions a form of transnational repression — meaning an attempt to control or threaten people who are outside of the country.
“These threats, intimidation, or pressure against people in Canada will not be tolerated,” the Canadian government said, calling the move “deeply troubling.”
The group being targeted is called the Hong Kong Parliament. Police say it wants to create a new “Hong Kong constitution” and take illegal steps to remove China’s government.
A Hong Kong court issued arrest warrants for people involved, including Elmer Yuen, Johnny Fok, Tony Choi, and Victor Ho — plus 15 others. Police accuse them of organizing or joining an election for this group, which took place online and included votes from people in countries like Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.
The Hong Kong Parliament said the election got about 15,700 valid votes. It was organized by a committee based in Canada, but the group admits it doesn’t have much influence.
Hong Kong police offered $1 million HKD (about $127,000 USD) rewards for information leading to the arrests of Yuen, Fok, Ho, and Choi. The others have bounties of $200,000 HKD (around $25,000 USD) each. Police say more rewards could be offered in the future.
They also urged the activists to return to Hong Kong and turn themselves in. Yuen responded on Facebook Live, saying the police move actually helped his group by getting more attention.
Another activist, Sasha Gong, who was also targeted, said Hong Kong is acting like a “police state.” She is a U.S. citizen and said she will report the situation to U.S. lawmakers.
Canada’s government also said that Hong Kong is using the internet to spread information about the bounties, especially targeting Chinese-speaking communities in Canada. They say it’s part of a larger effort to scare people who disagree with the Chinese government.
“This kind of behaviour threatens Canada’s sovereignty and the safety of people in this country,” Global Affairs Canada said.
The U.K. government also spoke out. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the arrest warrants “another example of transnational repression.”
Over the past two years, Hong Kong has gone after many overseas activists, including well-known figures like Nathan Law and Ted Hui. Some even had their passports canceled.
Many foreign governments have condemned these moves, saying they go against promises made when Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 — a deal that was supposed to protect the city’s freedoms for 50 years.
Earlier this year, the U.S. punished six Hong Kong and Chinese officials for their role in these actions. China responded by threatening to punish U.S. officials and NGO leaders who it says were too involved in Hong Kong matters.
Still, China and Hong Kong claim the national security law is necessary to keep the city safe and stable. They say it even applies to Hong Kong residents who live overseas.
