Nathan Law: Hong Kong activist in UK fears for safety over bounty

A pro-democracy campaigner who fled Hong Kong has told the BBC his beingness has go much unsafe due to the fact that of a bounty offered for his arrest.

Nathan Law, who lives successful the UK, is among 8 exiled activists wanted by the territory's police.

Authorities are offering rewards of HK$1 cardinal (£100,581; $127,637) for accusation starring to their capture.

Mr Law said helium needed to beryllium "more careful" astir divulging his whereabouts arsenic a effect of the bounty.

The 8 activists targeted are accused of colluding with overseas forces - a transgression that tin transportation a condemnation of beingness successful prison. The offence comes nether Hong Kong's draconian information law, which was imposed 3 years agone aft widespread pro-democracy protests took spot successful 2019.

The UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK would "not tolerate immoderate attempts by China to intimidate and soundlessness individuals successful the UK and overseas."

"We telephone connected Beijing to region the National Security Law and for the Hong Kong authorities to extremity their targeting of those who basal up for state and democracy," helium said successful a statement.

Under the nationalist information law, hundreds of pro-democracy campaigners person been arrested and convicted successful Hong Kong. 

Beijing has said the instrumentality is needed to bring stableness to the city, but critics accidental it is designed to squash dissent.

The 8 named successful this announcement are each based successful the UK, the US and Australia - countries which bash not person extradition treaties with China.

"They person committed precise superior offences that endanger nationalist security," Steven Li, main superintendent of the nationalist information department, said. 

He added that portion Hong Kong constabulary could not apprehension them portion they remained abroad, they would not halt chasing them.

Mr Law, 1 of the astir salient figures successful the pro-democracy movement, said that portion helium felt his concern was "relatively safe" successful the UK, helium would person to beryllium much vigilant arsenic a effect of the bounty's announcement.

"There could perchance beryllium idiosyncratic successful the UK - oregon anyplace other - to supply informations of maine to (the Hong Kong authorities). For example, my whereabouts, wherever they could perchance extradite maine erstwhile I'm transiting successful definite countries," Mr Law said.

"All these things whitethorn enactment my beingness successful to unsafe situations if I'm not cautious capable of who I conscionable oregon wherever I go. It makes maine person to unrecorded successful a much cautious life."

Writing connected Twitter, Mr Law urged others not to cooperate with the authorities connected the substance and said: "We should not bounds ourselves, self-censor, beryllium intimidated, oregon unrecorded successful fear."

This sentiment was echoed by 1 of the different exiled activists - Anna Kwok, enforcement manager of the Hong Kong Democracy Council - who said the bounty was aimed astatine intimidating her and her chap activists.

"We are agreed successful our combat for state and ideology successful our home, Hong Kong," she said successful a statement.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her authorities was "deeply disappointed" by the announcement and said Australia "remains profoundly acrophobic by the continuing erosion of Hong Kong's rights, freedoms and autonomy."

The different six activists named successful the announcement are Ted Hui, Dennis Kwok, Mung Siu-tat, Elmer Yuen, Finn Law and Kevin Yam.

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