Sydney academic discovers BOUNTY on his head worth $38,000 via WhatsApp
Dr Feng Chongyi, who is an associate professor in China Studies at University of Technology, Sydney, is one of 19 overseas activists targeted in arrest warrants issued by Hong Kong police.
Slapped with a bounty of HK$200,000 (AU$38,000), he has dismissed the latest charges against him as absurd.
Hong Kong has seen its pro-democracy movement crushed in recent years under the weight of increasingly draconian laws supported by the Chinese government.
The recent warrant relates to Dr Feng's involvement in the 'Hong Kong Parliament', a self-declared pro-democracy body based outside the city.
Authorities have accused the organisation of attempting to form a 'shadow legislature' and 'pursuing the ideal of Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong'.
They've called the group's activities subversive and in breach of sweeping national security laws imposed by the Beijing government in 2020.
'This action shows the world the brutality of the Chinese communist regime,' Dr Feng told ABC News, adding that he found out he was wanted on the messaging service WhatsApp.
Born in mainland China, Dr Feng has advocated for democratic reform in Hong Kong and was previously detained and interrogated by Chinese authorities in 2017.
'(This warrant) also reminds the world that Hong Kong has been completely controlled by China,' he said.
'The autonomy is gone, basic liberties protected by law (are) gone, they've completely destroyed a beautiful city, it's so sad.'
Dr Feng said he was not overly concerned by the warrant, given he has no plans to return to Hong Kong or mainland China: 'I do not take it as a big deal.'
Authorities say the wanted individuals either helped organise or took part in the Hong Kong Parliament's unofficial election.
The campaign saw 18 candidates from Australia, the UK, US, Canada, Taiwan and Thailand win more than 15,000 online votes.
Police have offered the bounty of HK$200,000 for information leading to the arrest of 15 individuals.
Meanwhile, they are offering HK$1million (AU$194,000) for four people who were previously issued warrants: Elmer Yuen, Victor Ho, Johnny Fok and Tony Choi.
Dr Feng faces a $38,000 bounty which he discovered via WhatsApp
The police warned that anyone assisting or supporting the group, including via the internet, could face prosecution under national security laws.
In a statement, they urged the accused to 'turn back before it's too late' and 'surrender themselves in Hong Kong.'
Dr Feng, a close friend of jailed Australian writer Yang Hengjun, said he joined the organising committee out of solidarity.
'I have many friends in Hong Kong who want democracy,' he said.
The crackdown has triggered widespread condemnation from Australian politicians across parliament.
'Australia has consistently expressed strong objections to the broad and extraterritorial application of Hong Kong's national security law,' Foreign Minister Penny Wong posted on social media on Saturday.
'Freedom of expression and assembly are essential to our democracy.'
Shadow Foreign Minister Michaelia Cash said the Coalition held 'serious concerns' over the targeting of pro-democracy activists abroad.
'We fundamentally believe in free speech,' she said.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is currently visiting Sydney, also labelled the move 'totally, totally unacceptable.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
US pauses visa processing at embassy in Niger, State Dept says
WASHINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - The United States is pausing all routine visa services at U.S. embassy in Nigerien capital Niamey until further notice, according to a State Department spokesperson and an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters on Saturday. The July 25-dated cable did not provide a reason for the move but a State Department spokesperson said the pause, which would cover all immigrant and non-immigrant visa categories, was in place until Washington addressed "concerns with the Government of Niger." The spokesperson did not provide further details on the reason, but said that most diplomatic and official visas were excepted from the pause. "The Trump Administration is focused on protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process," the Department spokesperson said. The diplomatic cable also instructed consular officers in other visa processing posts to apply "heightened scrutiny" when assessing non-immigrant visa applications for Nigerien nationals, whose overstay rates it said were 8 percent for visitor visas and 27 percent for student and exchange visas. Consular managers should make an effort to reduce the number of overstays by nonimmigrant visa holders in the United States, the cable said and added: "In this regard, particular vigilance is needed in adjudicating Nigerien NIV applicants." The U.S. embassy in Niamey has informed all individuals impacted, the spokesperson added. As part of his hardline stance on immigration, President Donald Trump has ordered a nationwide campaign to arrest migrants who are in the country illegally and has vowed to deport millions of people, executing raids at work sites including farms that were largely exempted from enforcement during his first term. Trump administration officials have said student visa and green card holders are subject to deportation over their support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza, calling their actions a threat to U.S. foreign policy and accusing them of being pro-Hamas. Rubio in May said the number of visas he has revoked was probably in the thousands. The State Department under his leadership significantly tightened social media vetting for U.S. visa applicants. The U.S. military in September said it had completed its withdrawal from Niger, after the West African nation's ruling junta in April 2024 ordered Washington to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country. It was an embarrassing setback for Washington that followed a coup last year in the West African nation. Before the coup, Niger had been a key partner in the U.S. fight against insurgents in the Sahel region of Africa, who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Canada condemns Hong Kong arrest warrants targeting pro-democracy activists
TORONTO, July 26 (Reuters) - The Canadian government on Saturday condemned Hong Kong authorities issuing arrest warrants for pro-democracy activists based overseas. "The individuals targeted yesterday under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law in Hong Kong include Canadians and people with close ties to Canada," the government said in a statement. "This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct transnational repression abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated." Hong Kong's national security police announced arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas, accusing them of subversion under a stringent law, marking the largest such tally yet.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Hong Kong issues arrest warrants for 19 activists based overseas
Hong Kong's national security police have issued 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 pro-democracy group that authorities in the Asian financial hub say intended to subvert state power, under the law Beijing imposed in 2020 after months of pro-democracy protests in 2019. The activists are accused of having launched a referendum or run as candidates in the unofficial Hong Kong Parliament group, which authorities say aims to achieve self-determination and draft a Hong Kong constitution. Police said the organisation sought to overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong by unlawful means, and that further arrests may follow. Among those named are the businessman Elmer Yuen, the commentator Victor Ho, and the activists Johnny Fok and Tony Choi. Four of them are subject to previous arrest warrants, each carrying a reward of 1m Hong Kong dollars (£95,000). Among the remaining 15, for each of whom police are offering a reward of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars, are those said to have organised or run in the election and been sworn in as its councillors. Feng Chongyi, a China studies professor at the University of Technology Sydney who was also listed, decried the bounty against him as 'ridiculous'. 'They've got the power, they've got the influence overseas, they want to control everything even overseas,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. 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,' they 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. Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, also strongly objected to the arrest warrants. 'Freedom of expression and assembly are essential to our democracy,' she said on X. 'We have consistently expressed our strong objections to China and Hong Kong on the broad and extraterritorial application of Hong Kong's national security legislation, and we will continue to do so.' 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 government are using it to stifle dissent. Chinese and Hong Kong authorities 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 offences 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 said that aiding, abetting, or funding others to participate in the Hong Kong Parliament group could be a criminal offence.
