2023-08-12 08:29:28
Luo Guancong BBC interview: Hong Kong government intimidates family members like mainland law enforcement, worries regarding UK’s weak attitude towards China’s threats
August 12, 2023
Luo Guancong, a former Hong Kong student movement leader who has been in exile in the UK for three years, is being arrested by the Hong Kong government for violating the “National Security Law”. In an interview with BBC HARDtalk in the UK, he talked regarding his family’s feelings of being detained by the Hong Kong police for investigation, his concerns regarding the British government’s weak signal to Beijing, and his views on overseas Hong Kong people’s formation of the “Hong Kong Parliament”.
On July 3, 2023, the Hong Kong government issued a high-profile bonus of 1 million Hong Kong dollars to arrest eight pro-democracy activists in exile, including the former student movement leader Luo Guancong, on the grounds of violating the “National Security Law”, and then detained the relatives of those involved to investigate. The move was questioned as being similar to mainland China’s law enforcement methods, sparking widespread discussions in Hong Kong and the international community.
Li Guihua, Chief Superintendent of the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police, said at the time that the crime of “endangering national security is very serious” by the relevant personnel. He acknowledged that Hong Kong police would not be able to arrest them if they stayed abroad, but said they would not stop enforcing the law.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the UK “will not tolerate any attempt by China to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK and abroad”.
In an exclusive interview with BBC HARDtalk, Luo Guancong said that the amount of bonus that the authorities pay to them is much higher than that of fugitives suspected of murder, and believes that the authorities are using the concept of national security as a weapon.
In the interview, he also responded to whether he felt a certain degree of guilt because the authorities detained his family members.
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