{"id":14483,"date":"2023-07-06T17:55:17","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T14:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/?p=14483"},"modified":"2023-07-06T17:55:21","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T14:55:21","slug":"self-exiled-activists-the-new-field-of-confrontation-between-china-and-the-west","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/?p=14483","title":{"rendered":"Self-exiled activists the new field of confrontation between China and the West"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Hong Kong has been reborn from the ashes,” Chinese President Xi Jinping declared a year ago in a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the transfer of control of the territory from the United Kingdom to Beijing. It was then, after 99 years of British colonial rule, that Hong Kong – already an important financial hub – became a Special Administrative Region of China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It came with guarantees of autonomy status for at least 50 years. But it soon became clear that Beijing had other plans\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite assurances of respect for the principle of “one country, two systems” for Hong Kong’s official governing policy, the Communist Party has radically reshaped the international financial metropolis according to its own standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pro-democratization movement was met with brutal repression. The legislation became more and more strict and the prosecutions of the members of the democratic movement ceased. Many of its officials have been forced into self-exile, in Western countries that have suspended extradition agreements with Hong Kong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even there they are faced with the specter of persecution. Something that the Chinese authorities made more or less clear, shortly after the decision of the – controlled by Beijing – Hong Kong police to proclaim eight prominent pro-democracy activists last Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He announced that he was offering a reward of one million Hong Kong dollars – just over 117,000 euros to be exact – to anyone who provided information leading to the arrest of eight prominent activists, who are overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are accused of collaborating with foreign powers in favor of Hong Kong independence from China and promoting sanctions against government officials. It is the first time in history that the Asian metropolis of nearly 7.5 million inhabitants has taken this step. Not by chance, he “stepped” on the National Security Law, which came into force in June 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Anyone who is not obedient is an “enemy”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law was enacted by the Beijing government in response to the pro-democracy protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020 and were met with a brutal crackdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It criminalizes any movement for secession, subversion of the status quo, support for terrorism – in a very broad sense – as well as cooperation with foreign powers. With its implementation, the Chinese government opened the way for strict and massive controls in the former British crown colony, largely circumventing the fundamental rights of the population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far 260 people have been arrested in Hong Kong under this law. Of these, 79 have been sentenced to prison or fined, as announced by the authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But amid systemic intimidation, exercising any form of opposition has practically become a criminal offense in Hong Kong as well. Politicians were forced to resign. Media critical of Beijing’s policy were closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only at the end of June, a self-proclaimed pro-democracy radio station stopped broadcasting after almost 20 years of operation. The political situation has become “dangerous,” commented the station’s founder and activist, Chang Kin-shing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this has been known for a long time, first-hand, by the eight “awardees of a million”. An amount far greater than what Hong Kong offers even to track down fugitive murderers and rapists..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So at the top of Beijing’s wanted list are now three former Hong Kong MPs, a lawyer, a trade unionist and three activists. Some had previously faced charges for various other offenses as part of the crackdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-exiled, they live today scattered in the USA, Britain, Canada and Australia. Against the background of escalating geopolitical competition, their fortunes appear to be opening a new chapter in the conflict between China and the West.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Offshore\u2026 \u201csolutions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not coincidentally, two weeks before the arrest warrants were issued for the eight, the state-run Chinese newspaper Ta Kung Pao published an article stating that the National Security Law applies to Hong Kong nationals outside its administrative boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a member of Interpol, China – the newspaper pointed out – could ask for help from other countries to arrest fugitives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Don’t think you can do whatever you want abroad,” the article said. “You will not be able to escape the law.”
The same message about extraterritorial jurisdiction was sent by the head of the Hong Kong government, John Lee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Surrender is the only way for them to stop being pursued fugitives for the rest of their lives,” he commented on the “eight” at a press conference. Over-the-top, a representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that the international community must “respect Hong Kong’s rule of law” and “stop offering protection to criminals”, characterizing the issue as Beijing’s “internal matter”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

International reactions-responses did not take long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In sharp tones, a State Department spokesman in Washington spoke of “a dangerous precedent that threatens the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people around the world.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comments from the governments of Britain, Australia and Canada were similarly critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Peter Dalin, Swedish activist and head of the NGO Safeguard Defenders – who months ago denounced the existence of a global network of “overseas Chinese police stations” – the prosecution of the “eight” has no legally realistic chance of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts take it for granted that those directly concerned will not attempt to travel to a country that has concluded an extradition treaty with China. Any attempt to kidnap them in the countries where they have taken refuge is considered equally dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Beijing’s message to its critical citizens is clear. Inside and outside the Chinese border.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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