Two more Hongkongers have been denied entry to Macau on the grounds that they pose threats to the stability of the territory’s internal security.
Filmmaker Lo Chun-yip was due to lead a filmmaking workshop in Macau. According to Lo’s Facebook page, he had visited the SAR before and, despite previously been detained for questioning, he had no problems entering the territory.
Lo was an independent filmmaker who made several politically themed films.
According to Lo, when he asked the police whether he was banned from Macau forever, the police told him that “it would be better to come again on [October] 13th,” before immediately telling Lo to forget about what they had just said.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is set to visit Macau between October 10 to 12.
Former activist Roddy Shaw Kwok-wah was also barred from entering Macau on Saturday. Shaw told HKFP that “when I asked them why I was being deported, they only pointed to a piece of paper [rejection notice] and said that I cause a threat.”
He said he was never told how he could cause a threat.
He said he was passed along from an immigration officer to a customs officer, and then to the captain of a ferry back to Hong Kong.
“I understand why pro-democracy lawmakers had previously been barred from entering Macau, but I am not them,” Shaw said. “I am on a different level to them in terms of publicity and influence.”
Shaw said that “having been an activist, I expect to be on some sort of blacklist… I believe I am no longer on the Hong Kong government’s list, but may still be on China’s.”
“I have reasons to believe that the Chinese government might have been passing their blacklist on to other governments,” Shaw said in response to the case of Joshua Wong Chi-fung of the Demosistō party who was detained in Bangkok and then deported on Wednesday. “Otherwise I cannot see why I would be on Macau’s blacklist,” Shaw said, “we have no history of activism in Macau.”
Freedom of entry and exit
Labour Party’s Cyd Ho Sau-lan told HKFP that the Macau government maintains a traveller’s blacklist.
“We [pro-democracy lawmakers] have been banned when we were trying to enter Macau while they were debating the legislation of their Article 23,” she said. Article 23 refers to a security law that was voted down in Hong Kong.
“The Macau government should publicise their travellers’ blacklist,” Ho said. She said this would allow the Hong Kong government to respond accordingly to defend the rights of Hongkongers and their freedom of entry and exit to places with visa-free access.
The Macau government has denied it has a blacklist.
Macau activist Jason Chao Teng-hei wrote in an article: “I boldly suggest that my friends in Hong Kong do not visit Macau unless necessary until ‘senior officials from Beijing’ have left.”
Travel writer and former activist Fred Lam Fai was also denied entry to Macau in on Wednesday.
