Commentary
Hong Kong’s national security police issued charges against a Canadian citizen and critic of the Chinese Communist Party, for subversion, under the National Security Law (NSL). It has also issued similar charges against two U.S. residents. Their crimes: political organizing (though entirely legal) outside of Hong Kong and China—in Canada and the United States, respectively—to be exact. With this, Hong Kong police show, once and for all, the true extraterritoriality concept behind the law passed in 2020.
No one can say they weren’t warned. I know because I drafted a report that issued such a warning earlier this year. In it, Safeguard Defenders took note that the then security chief, John Lee, and already then heir apparent to the mini-throne of Hong Kong, had been vocal about expanding the use of the law, and using “international instruments” to seek such “fugitives’” return to Hong Kong. This is the same man who said that Hong Kong “police would hunt down [Ted] Hui,” the former lawmaker in exile….