The Hong Kong government has slammed “some other countries, organisations, and politicians” for “unsubstantiated accusations” against national security police operations.
A government spokesman in a statement on Thursday “resolutely opposed and condemned” countries, organisations, and politicians’ “unsubstantiated accusations against the lawful actions of the National Security Department [of the police],” adding that such criticisms of the department’s actions were “politically motivated.”
Without naming names, the spokesman said “persons involved in the NSD’s actions” were alleged to have “continued to commit offences under the Hong Kong National Security Law that seriously endanger national security,” including secession, incitement to secession, incitement to subversion, and collusion with foreign forces.
On Monday, national security police issued arrest warrants and HK$1 million bounty each for ex-lawmakers Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok; activists Nathan Law, Anna Kwok, Elmer Yuen, Christopher Mung, and Finn Lau; and solicitor Kevin Yam. They were alleged to have committed the offences listed in the government’s Thursday statement.
The statement came after Western countries including the US, the UK, and Australia decried the national security arrest warrants.
“Extraterritorial application vested in the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) is in line with the well-recognised international law principle of ‘protective jurisdiction’ and international practice,” Thursday’s statement read.
The same sentence appeared in the Security Bureau’s statement on Tuesday, in which it also said that “certain countries” were “wantonly making unsubstantiated accusations against lawful actions of the National Security Department.”
No Interpol ‘Red Notice’
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) told HKFP on Tuesday that no requests for a Red Notice or Wanted Persons Diffusion for the eight activists had been received. The global policing group also said that it was strictly forbidden from undertaking any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character, and its activities were conducted in the spirit of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday morning that the warrants were an “effective and just way of safeguarding national security and upholding the national security law.” He encouraged members of the public, including the suspects’ relatives and friends, to provide information to the police.
In June 2020, Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution — bypassing the local legislature — following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. The move gave police sweeping new powers, alarming democrats, civil society groups and trade partners, as such laws have been used broadly to silence and punish dissidents in China. However, the authorities say it has restored stability and peace to the city.
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