Hong Kong police issue arrest warrants, bounties for 6 activists, including 2 Canadians
Hong Kong police on Tuesday announced a fresh round of arrest warrants for six activists based overseas — including two Canadian citizens — with bounties set at $185,000 for information leading to their arrests.
According to the warrants, the six are wanted for national security offences such as secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces. They include Tony Chung, the former leader of now-defunct pro-independence group Studentlocalism.
U.K.-based Carmen Lau, a former district councillor and current activist with the Hong Kong Democracy Council, as well as Chloe Cheung, an activist with the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, also had warrants issued against them.
The latest round of warrants signals that the Hong Kong government is targeting vocal critics based abroad.
The government had previously issued two rounds of arrest warrants and bounties for more prominent activists, including ex-lawmakers Ted Hui and Nathan Law.
The increasing number of wanted individuals abroad comes as Hong Kong continues to crack down on political dissent following massive anti-government protests in 2019 that resulted in a wave of pro-democracy movements. Many outspoken pro-democracy activists have since been jailed, with others fleeing abroad.
Activists react to bounties placed on their head
Chung, the former Studentlocalism leader, said in a story posted to Instagram that he was “honoured” to be the first Hong Konger to be accused of violating the national security law twice.
“As a staunch Hong Kong nationalist, today’s wanted notice is undoubtedly a kind of affirmation for me. In the future, I will continue to unswervingly and fearlessly promote the self-determination of Hong Kong,” he wrote.
Separately, Cheung, who is based in the U.K., said in an Instagram post that “even in the face of a powerful enemy, I will continue to do what I believe is right.”
“How fragile, incompetent, and cowardly does a regime have to be to believe that I, a 19-year-old, ordinary Hongkonger, can ‘endanger’ and ‘divide’ the country? How panicked are they that they have to put a million-dollar bounty on me?” she asked.
Article 23, a controversial national security law in Hong Kong, has come into effect. Many fear the crackdown on dissent will further erode civil liberties.
Lau posted on X a call for governments, including those of the U.K., U.S., and EU countries, to “impose sanctions on Hong Kong human rights perpetrators without further delay” and urged democracies to support Hong Kong’s right to self-determination.
“The Hong Kong government’s latest round of arrest warrants and bounties against six Hong Kong activists is a cowardly act of intimidation that aims to silence Hong Kong people,” said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch.
“The six — including two Canadian citizens — live in the U.K. and Canada. We call on the U.K. and Canadian governments to act immediately to push back against the Hong Kong government’s attempts to threaten Hong Kongers living in their countries.”
Tuesday’s arrest warrants take the total number of wanted people to 19.
Others on the list Tuesday are: Chung Kim-wah, previously a senior member of independent polling organization Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute; Joseph Tay, co-founder of Canada-based NGO HongKonger Station; and YouTuber Victor Ho.
Separately Tuesday, the Hong Kong government issued orders for the cancellation of passports belonging to seven “absconders,” including ex-lawmakers Hui and Dennis Kwok, who are wanted under the security law.
The orders were made under Hong Kong’s domestic national security law — known as Article 23 — and also prohibits the seven from dealing with funds in Hong Kong as well as activities related to joint ventures and property.
Published at Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:18:51 +0000
Months after a violent attack in Panama, Gatineau couple focuses on recovery
After being attacked in Panama at the end of October while travelling, a couple from Gatineau, Que., is now taking time to recover from the physical and mental trauma.
“I think it’s good to be with friends, with family, but at the same time, my heart is over there. It’s somewhere else,” said Geneviève Plouffe, who returned home a month ago with her partner Martin Audette.
They were in the middle of a years-long road trip across South and Central America.
“The plan was not to come [home]. The plan was to simply travel and live the life. But I don’t know how I feel.”
Plouffe and Audette were inside their parked bus, which they had transformed into a mobile home, near the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal on Oct. 28 when attackers opened fire and forced their way inside the vehicle.
The men dragged Audette out and beat him with a hammer and the butt of a gun, Plouffe said.
Others entered the bus and demanded money, threatening Plouffe’s life.
Geneviève Plouffe says she and her husband Martin Audette were inside their parked bus on Oct. 28 when a group of armed assailants fired on the vehicle and forced their way inside.
“I still have some aches, like my sternum still hurts and my ribs. I have scars all over the back of my head,” Audette said.
“The recovery process was what it was. It’s like, I just got beat up — like, beat up real bad.”
The couple said they know recovering mentally will be a long process. Since the attack, they’ve been struggling with flashbacks and anxiety.
“You feel anger, you feel sadness, you feel a lot of emotions … joy, pain and sadness for what happened,” Audette said.
“But it’s part of life. We all know life is not always great, with different chapters and different obstacles to go through. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Path to justice
Without insurance, the couple says they’ve incurred $40,000 to $50,000 in hospital and legal fees.
In a written response, Global Affairs Canada confirmed it is aware of the incident involving the two Canadians but declined to comment due to privacy concerns. Canadian consular officials in Panama are in contact with local authorities and are providing assistance.
On the advice of the Canadian embassy in Panama, the couple hired a lawyer hoping their case will be heard.
Radio-Canada reached out to police authorities in Panama but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Plouffe said a few weeks ago, two suspects were identified by police. The couple said updates from local authorities are infrequent.
Audette hopes to hold the attackers, as well as the owner of the property where they were parked, accountable through the justice system in Panama.
“Before leaving Panama, we hired this lawyer… and the last thing I said to him before we left was, someone has to pay, and it’s not going to be me.”
Plans to return to El Salvador
The couple sought help from a psychologist in El Salvador, who specializes in post-traumatic stress disorder, prior to returning to Canada.
“To have [a] psychological appointment in Quebec, it’s very difficult. So in El Salvador, it was very quick, very easy,” said Plouffe.
The couple said they’ve also found comfort in support from family and friends.
“The van-lifers are a crazy, amazing community. They are very kind, and they give us a lot of help,” said Plouffe. “We are very happy to be part of that beautiful family.”
They plan to stay in Canada for a few more weeks before returning to El Salvador, primarily for medical, psychological, and psychiatric support. The warmer weather is also a factor, said Plouffe.
The couple also plans to travel back to Panama one day to retrieve their bus, which requires extensive repairs.
Published at Tue, 24 Dec 2024 09:00:00 +0000
