The United Kingdom has condemned Hong Kong authorities for offering payment in exchange for assisting in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain, even as the British government begins the process of reinstating an extradition deal with the autonomous Chinese city.

On Saturday, Hong Kong’s national security police also formally announced arrest warrants for the 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet.

The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial “Hong Kong Parliament” group, which authorities say aims at achieving self-determination and drafting a “Hong Kong constitution”.

Police, who allege the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow.

A day earlier on Friday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a joint statement denouncing Hong Kong’s announced cash rewards for information on the 19 activists.

In their statement, Lammy and Cooper called on China to stop targeting opposition voices in Britain.

“The Hong Kong Police Force’s issuing of further arrest warrants and bounties on individuals living in the UK is another example of transnational repression,” their statement read.

The bounties range from 200,000 to one million Hong Kong dollars (about $25,000-$125,000), depending on the individual the Hong Kong authorities seek to arrest.

Police, who said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow.

It was the fourth time Hong Kong authorities have made reward offers, which have drawn strong criticism from Western countries, to which China, in turn, has denounced as “interference”.

In their statement, the two British ministers said that “this Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the [United Kingdom] their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously”.

But a recent proposal by the British government to reform extradition rules has prompted serious concerns, with some fearing it could pave the way for a resumption of extraditions to Hong Kong, which have been suspended since the 2020 national security law was enacted.

On Friday, Al Jazeera reported that the UK Home Office applied to Parliament to make changes to the country’s legislation regarding extradition on July 17, followed by a letter to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp the next day.

“It is in our national interest to have effective extradition relationships to prevent criminals from evading justice and the UK becoming a haven for criminals,” the July 18 letter from Security Minister Dan Jarvis said.

The Home Office also plans to restore an extradition framework with Chile and Zimbabwe, according to the letter, which was shared on X by Conservative MP Alicia Kearns.

Cases for Hong Kong and Zimbabwe would both be considered on a “case-by-case basis”, Jarvis said.

About 150,000 Hong Kong nationals migrated to the UK under a special visa scheme introduced in 2021.

An antigovernment protester shelters behind an umbrella as he attends a rally outside the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong in September 2019 [File: Jorge Silva/Reuters]

In 2024, legislators in Hong Kong approved a new national security law ­– referred to as Article 23 – that gave the government new powers to crack down on all forms of dissent on the grounds of alleged treason, espionage, sedition and external interference in Hong Kong’s internal affairs. Since then, Hong Kong has been offering bounties for the arrest of activists who have fled the city while facing charges related to the pro-democracy protests.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, is a particular sticking point for the UK due to its historical relationship and the sharp decline in political freedoms in Hong Kong since China imposed controversial national security legislation in 2020.

The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a “one country, two systems” formula.

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British Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Hong Kong authorities for offering payment in exchange for assisting in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain.

LONDON – Britain on July 25 condemned Hong Kong authorities for offering payment in exchange for assisting in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain.

“The Hong Kong Police Force’s issuing of further arrest warrants and bounties on individuals living in the UK is another example of transnational repression,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a joint statement.

Hong Kong authorities announced on July 25 that they are offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of 19 pro-democracy activists based abroad, accused of violating the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.

The bounties range from about US$25,000 (S$32,000) to US$125,000, depending on the individual Hong Kong seeks.

This is the fourth time Hong Kong authorities have made this type of appeal, which has already drawn strong criticism from Western countries, which China in turn has denounced as “interference”.

In their statement, Mr Lammy and Ms Cooper called on China to stop targeting opposition voices in Britain.

Around 150,000 Hong Kong nationals migrated to the UK under a special visa scheme introduced in 2021.

But a recent proposal by the British government to reform extradition rules has sparked serious concerns, with some fearing it could pave the way for a resumption of extraditions to Hong Kong, which have been suspended since the 2020 national security law was enacted.

In their statement, the two British ministers said “this Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the UK their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously”. AFP

UK condemns Hong Kong cash offer for help in arresting activists

A demonstrator holds a flag during a protest supporting the 45 pro-democracy activists sentenced to jail by Hong Kong’s High Court, outside the Chinese Embassy in London last November

China has denounced as “interference” criticism over this type of appeal, which it has made three times previously .

People are being offered between $25,000 (HK$200,000) and $125,000 for information leading to the arrest of 19 individuals, all of whom are pro-democracy activists living abroad.

In a joint statement, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the move as “another example of transnational repression”.

The UK has condemned the latest cash offer from Hong Kong authorities for people who help in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain.

The 19 people are accused of violating Beijing’s national security law imposed in 2020 in response to the 2019 anti-government protests that rocked the city for months.

The amounts on offer vary depending on the individual. Among the highest offers on the list are those for Choi Ming-da and Fok Ka-chi, who Hong Kong police said operated a social media channel named “Tuesdayroad”. Politician Nathan Law – who had been a lawmaker on the Legislative Council of Hong Kong – and activist and commentator Yuan Gong-Yi also appear on the lists.

The first such rewards were issued in July and December 2023. They targeted Nathan Law – who told the BBC that his life became more dangerous after a bounty was announced – and Simon Cheng, a former UK consulate employee detained in 2019 in a high-profile case.

The third series of rewards targeted six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada, including Tony Chung, the former leader of a pro-independence group.

A special visa scheme introduced in 2021 saw around 150,000 Hong Kong residents move to the UK, according to the Home Office.

In November last year a Hong Kong court sentenced dozens of pro-democracy leaders to years in jail for subversion, following a controversial national security trial.

In their statement in response to the latest bounty, Ms Cooper and Mr Lammy said “this government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the UK their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously.”

Their joint statement added: “The UK is committed to human rights, the rule of law, and the safety of all individuals in the UK. That’s why we have taken further steps to complete the severing of ties between the UK and Hong Kong extradition systems by removing Hong Kong from the Extradition Act 2003.”

Images of five activists Simon Cheng, Frances Hui, Joey Siu, Johnny Fok, and Tony Choi are displayed during a press conference to issue arrest warrants in Hong Kong, China December 14, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

HONG KONG, July 25 (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent national security law, marking the largest such tally yet.

They are accused of organising or participating in the “Hong Kong Parliament”, a group that authorities in the Asian financial hub say aimed to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 following months of pro-democracy protests in 2019.

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The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial “Hong Kong Parliament” group, which authorities say aims at achieving self-determination and drafting a “Hong Kong constitution”.

Police, who said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, said they are still investigating and further arrests may follow.

Among those named are businessman Elmer Yuen, commentator Victor Ho, and activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a bounty of HK$1 million ($127,000).

Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a bounty of HK$200,000 ($25,480), are those said to have organised or run in the election and sworn in as its councillors.

None of the accused could be reached for comment.

The UK’s Foreign and Home Secretaries condemned the move in a joint statement, calling the arrests “another example of transnational repression” and saying it damages Hong Kong’s international reputation.

“(The UK) will not tolerate attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas,” it said in a statement on Friday.

In response, the Chinese embassy in the UK said the British government’s remarks “constitute a gross interference” in China’s internal affairs and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

“China urges the UK to abandon its colonial mentality, stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs…stop shielding criminals,” it said.

The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a “one country, two systems” formula.

Critics of the national security law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent.

Chinese and Hong Kong officials have repeatedly said the law was vital to restore stability after the city was rocked for months by sometimes violent anti-government and anti-China protests in 2019.

Police reiterated that national security offenses were serious crimes with extraterritorial reach and urged the wanted individuals to return to Hong Kong and surrender.

“If offenders voluntarily give up continuing to violate the crime, turn themselves in, truthfully confess their crimes, or provide key information that helps solve other cases, they may be eligible for reduced punishment,” they said in a statement.

Police also warned that aiding, abetting, or funding others to participate in the “Hong Kong Parliament” could be a criminal offense.

($1=7.8488 Hong Kong dollars)

Reporting by Jessie Pang; Additional reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree, Clarence Fernandez and Jacqueline Wong

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LONDON: The UK government has strongly condemned Hong Kong authorities for offering financial rewards in exchange for information leading to the arrest of pro-democracy activists residing in Britain. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a joint statement denouncing the move as “another example of transnational repression.”

Hong Kong police announced cash bounties ranging from $25,000 to $125,000 for information on 19 activists accused of violating the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. This marks the fourth such appeal by Hong Kong authorities, which has previously drawn criticism from Western nations.

Lammy and Cooper urged China to cease targeting dissenting voices in the UK, reaffirming their commitment to protecting Hong Kong nationals who have relocated to Britain. Since 2021, around 150,000 Hong Kong residents have migrated to the UK under a special visa scheme.

The statement also addressed concerns over potential changes to UK extradition rules, which some fear could lead to resumed extraditions to Hong Kong. The ministers emphasized, “This Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the UK their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously.” – AFP