Hong Kong national security police have taken away the parents and brother of activist Nathan Law for questioning, according to several local media outlets citing sources.
Law is among the eight self-exiled activists wanted by the Hong Kong national security police, with authorities offering a bounty of HK$1 million for each of the democrats.
Local media outlet Sing Tao reported that national security police went to two apartments in Tung Chung at around 6 am on Tuesday. Law’s parents and brother were reportedly taken to a police station and were not arrested.
They were questioned about whether they had provided financial support for Law and if they were his “agent” in Hong Kong, iCable reported. They were released from the police station after that.
Law announced that he had left Hong Kong after Beijing imposed the national security law in June 2020. He is now based in the UK.
In response to HKFP, police said the National Security Department “took away two men and a woman for investigation in Lantau North” on Tuesday morning.
“They are suspected of assisting persons wanted by Police to continue commit acts and engage in activities that endanger national security,” the Police Force said, adding that investigation was underway and that arrests could be made.
Law posted a statement in August 2020 – a month after leaving Hong Kong – saying he had severed ties with his family. He added that he had not been in contact with them since leaving.
Reports of Law’s family members being taken away by national security police came hours after Chief Executive John Lee said in a weekly press conference that the authorities would “exhaust all methods” to arrest the eight wanted democrats.
“The eight wanted criminals have committed [offences under the] Hong Kong national security law, endangered national security and been involved in serious crimes… As I have said, everyone should treat them as street rats and avoid [them] at all costs,” Lee said.
On Saturday, lawmaker Regina Ip said that communication between the wanted figures and their families would not pose any legal problem as long as the families were not providing financial support.
‘A lifetime’s endeavour to catch the wanted’
News of Hong Kong authorities’ arrest warrants for eight overseas democrats made international headlines since national security police announced the move last Monday. Police said they were offering HK$1 million bounties for each of the wanted people, and encouraged them to come forward.
Besides Law, the wanted democrats are ex-lawmakers Ted Hui and Dennis Kwok; activists Anna Kwok, Elmer Yuen, Mung Siu-tat and Finn Lau; and solicitor Kevin Yam. All of them are now based abroad, including in the US, UK and Australia.
Police said that the group had “seriously violated the national security offences” by ”calling for sanctions against local officials“ and “scheming for foreign countries to undermine Hong Kong’s status as a financial centre.”
While Western countries have denounced the arrest warrants, pro-establishment groups have thrown their support behind the police move and said the activists should be held accountable to the law.
Speaking to reporters last week, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said the police would spend “a lifetime’s endeavour to catch the wanted.” He also singled out Law, who had posted on social media earlier that all he did was take part in peaceful advocacy. Tang called him a “Chinese traitor” who had taken part in “evil acts.”
Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020 – bypassing local legislature – following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest over a controversial extradition bill. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts.
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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