The High Court has issued an arrest warrant for localist activist Ray Wong who was set to be tried next month for rioting, inciting rioting, and inciting unlawful assembly.
The convener of Hong Kong Indigenous, who has been on bail, previously received approval from a court to attend an event in Germany in last month. However, he did not report to the Tai Po police station on November 20 or surrender his travel documents on November 22 as required by his bail conditions, according to several news outlets including RTHK, Cable TV, Sing Tao Daily, Oriental Daily and Hong Kong Economic Times citing unnamed sources.
A pre-trial review was set to take place on December 9. The trial for Wong and eight others – including Hong Kong Indigenous activist Edward Leung – was set to begin on January 18 next year and was expected to last for 80 days.
Wong could be jailed for up to a decade, as he faces charges linked to the unrest in Mong Kok during Lunar New Year last February.
The unrest broke out over efforts by the authorities to clear street hawkers. Six have since been sentenced to jail for rioting – receiving up to four years and nine months behind bars. One was handed a training centre order.
In September, Wong appeared at a protest outside the British Parliament for the third anniversary of the pro-democracy Occupy protests.
The police told HKFP that it would not comment in view of the ongoing legal proceedings. The police said that, in the light of the circumstances of each case, it would generally locate the suspects at large through different channels and then apprehend them.
Wong did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HKFP.
Previously, Taiwanese authorities confirmed that local activist Lee Sin-yi, 18 – who failed to appear in court to face rioting charges – had entered Taiwan in January. She has apparently remained on the island ever since. No asylum application has been filed.
A Taiwan lawmaker has said human rights organisations on the island are helping her.
