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Vancouver Sun
12 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canada denounces Hong Kong's bounties on pro-democracy advocates living abroad
The Canadian government is condemning Hong Kong's law enforcement authorities after they issued bounties and warrants for 19 pro-democracy activists, some of whom live in Canada. In a joint statement, federal Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Saturday that Canada will not tolerate what it describes as an attempt for Hong Kong 'to conduct transnational repression abroad.' The statement came after Hong Kong police announced Friday warrants and rewards for 19 activists for 'suspected contravention' of its National Security Law for their roles in promoting self-determination in the Chinese special administrative region. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Some of the activists named, including Canadian Victor Ho, already faced warrants stemming from an announcement from Hong Kong in December and have a HK$1 million reward for information for their arrests. 'The new warrant … will help to draw more attention for (the) international community to realize that the transnational repression of (China) is so toxic and dangerous to normal people on exercising freedom of expression and speech,' Ho said in a text message to The Canadian Press. Ho added he was not surprised to hear his name on the new warrant list again, and the best policy on handling the situation is 'to keep everyday business as usual as possible.' The new list of 19 people added at least three other Canadian residents to the list with rewards of HK$200,000 offered, including Vancouver-based activist Keung Ka-wai. Keung said while he is somewhat concerned about his safety, he does not plan to stop his work in the Hong Kong democratic movement as he has already been arrested nine times and jailed twice for his participation before leaving for Canada. 'It is very important to us because that is our dream,' Keung said of the pro-democracy movement. 'And we have to do what must be done to develop the democracy of Hong Kong. 'I think it is really important to me and to every Hong Konger.' Hong Kong police said in its announcement that they are calling on those on the wanted list to return and turn themselves in instead of 'making more mistakes,' but Keung said he has no plans to do so. Ho agreed, adding that he is not concerned about his personal safety and has cut off all contact with Hong Kong family members since last year, and Global Affairs Canada has reached out to find out how many people living in the country are being targeted. In their joint statement, Anand and Anandasangaree criticized the warrants and say Canada 'stands in solidarity' with other 'international partners whose citizens and residents have also been affected by the new development,' which it calls an 'act of transnational repression.' 'The individuals targeted yesterday under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law in Hong Kong include Canadians and people with close ties to Canada,' their statement said. 'Canada reiterates its previous calls to repeal this law, which violates Hong Kong's international human rights obligations, and withdraw all related warrants and bounties.' Back in December, Ho responded in a Facebook post to his name being on the then-announced wanted list as the 'best Christmas present.' 'A Canadian citizen like me … has the protection of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and exercised his right to the freedom of speech,' said Ho, who is the former editor-in-chief of the Sing Tao Daily newspaper. Ho helped launched a plan in Canada to elect an unofficial 'Hong Kong parliament' in 2022, and the organizers' Facebook page says voting wrapped in June and garnered 15,702 total votes. — with files from The Associated Press Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada condemns Hong Kong authorities after warrants issued for overseas activists
OTTAWA – The Canadian government is condemning Hong Kong's law enforcement authorities after they issued bounties and warrants for 19 pro-democracy activists, some of whom live in Canada. In a joint statement, federal Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree say Canada will not tolerate what it describes as an attempt for Hong Kong 'to conduct transnational repression abroad.' The statement came after Hong Kong police announced the warrants and rewards offered for 19 activists for 'suspected contravention' of its National Security Law for their roles in promoting self-determination in the Chinese special administrative region. Some of the activists named, including Canadian Victor Ho, already face warrants stemming from an announcement from Hong Kong in December and have a HK$1 million reward for information for their arrests. The new list of 19 people adds at least three other Canadian residents to the list with rewards of HK$200,000 offered. Hong Kong police also says they are calling on those on the wanted list to return and turn themselves in instead of 'making more mistakes.' In a text message to The Canadian Press, Ho says he was not surprised to hear his name on the new warrant list again, and the best policy on handling the situation is 'to keep everyday business as usual as possible.' Ho adds he is not concerned about his personal safety and has cut off all contact with Hong Kong family members since last year, and Global Affairs Canada has reached out to find out how many people living in the country are being targeted. In their joint statement, Anand and Anandasangaree criticize the warrants and say Canada 'stands in solidarity' with other 'international partners whose citizens and residents have also been affected by the new development,' which it calls an 'act of transnational repression.' 'The individuals targeted yesterday under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law in Hong Kong include Canadians and people with close ties to Canada,' their statement says. 'Canada reiterates its previous calls to repeal this law, which violates Hong Kong's international human rights obligations, and withdraw all related warrants and bounties.' Back in December, Ho responded in a Facebook post to his name being on the wanted list as the 'best Christmas present.' 'A Canadian citizen like me … has the protection of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and exercised his right to the freedom of speech,' said Ho, who is the former editor-in-chief of the Sing Tao Daily newspaper. Ho helped launched a plan in Canada to elect an unofficial 'Hong Kong parliament' in 2022, and the organizers' Facebook page says voting wrapped in June and garnered 15,702 total votes. — with files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2025.
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Hong Kong police offer rewards for arrest of overseas activists, including B.C. resident
Hong Kong police announced rewards for information leading to the arrest of 19 overseas-based activists — including people who live in Canada — for their roles in what they called a subversive organization abroad, accusing them of violating a national security law imposed by Beijing. Police said in a statement Friday that the group, Hong Kong Parliament, aimed to promote self-determination and establish a so-called 'Hong Kong constitution,' alleging it was using illegal means to overthrow and undermine China's fundamental system or overthrow the institutions in power in the city or China. The city's court issued arrest warrants for activists Elmer Yuen, Johnny Fok, Tony Choi, Victor Ho, Keung Ka-wai and 14 others. Ho is the former editor of Canada's Sing Tao daily and lives in Richmond. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. They are alleged to have organized or participated in an election abroad for the Hong Kong Parliament, as well as setting up or becoming members of the group. According to a Facebook statement by the group on Jun. 30, its election drew some 15,700 valid votes through mobile app and online voting systems. It said the candidates and elected members came from various regions, including Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, the U.S., Canada and Britain. While the group calls itself Hong Kong Parliament, its electoral organizing committee was founded in Canada and its influence is limited. Among the 19 activists, police have already offered 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,400) for information leading to the arrest of Yuen, Ho, Fok and Choi when previous arrest warrants were issued against them. For the remaining 15 people, rewards of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars ($25,480) were offered, urging residents to provide information about the case or the people. 'If necessary, police will offer bounties to hunt down more suspects in the case,' police said. They also called on those wanted to stop their actions while they still can, saying that they hoped the activists 'will take this opportunity to return to Hong Kong and turn themselves in, rather than making more mistakes.' Yuen said in a Facebook live broadcast that the election was not quite successful in drawing active participation, and that the police campaign would help the group rally support for the resistance movement. 'It helps us with a lot of advertising,' Yuen said. During the live chat with Yuen on Facebook, Sasha Gong, another person targeted by the bounties, accused Hong Kong of becoming a police state. She said she is U.S. citizen and would report her case to the U.S. authorities and lawmakers. Over the past two years, Hong Kong authorities have issued arrest warrants for various activists based overseas, including former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law and Ted Hui. They also cancelled the passports of some of them under a recent security law introduced to the city last year. The moves against overseas-based activists have drawn criticism from foreign governments, especially given the former British colony was promised that its Western-style civil liberties and semi-autonomy would be kept intact for at least 50 years when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. In March, the United States sanctioned six Chinese and Hong Kong officials who it alleged were involved in 'transnational repression' and acts that threaten to further erode the city's autonomy. But Beijing and Hong Kong insist the national security laws were necessary for the city's stability. Hong Kong police have maintained that the Beijing-imposed law applies to permanent residents in Hong Kong who violate it abroad. In retaliation for the U.S. move, China in April said it would sanction U.S. officials, lawmakers and leaders of non-governmental organizations who it says have 'performed poorly' on Hong Kong issues.
