Hong Kong activists in Australia and Britain have given asylum in Australia and Britain news

Dozens of activists in the period from the city’s authorities governed by China after a campaign against civil freedoms.

A supporter of democracy was granted in Hong Kong and a former parliamentarian required by the Chinese authorities in the city in Britain and Australia, after more than four years of confronting criminal charges on 2019 anti -freedom protests.

Tony Chung, an activist who was imprisoned under Hong Kong Comprehensive National Security LawAnd Ted Hui, the former legislator who faces a trial for his role in the mass demonstrations, announced each of them during the weekend that they had received asylum in Britain and Australia, respectively, where they now live.

They are among the dozens of activists who escaped from the Hong Kong authorities. Civil freedoms in the city that has been governed by China since 2020 have eroded when Beijing imposed the National Security Law mainly criminalizing the opposition.

Penalties It can reach life imprisonment for exposing national security, betrayal and rebellion; 20 years for espionage and sabotage; And 14 years of external interference.

Hui, who fled from Hong Kong in December 2020, is part of a group of activists abroad whose police offered bonuses up to $ 1 million from Hong Kong ($ 127,800). The former legislator is now working as a lawyer in Adelaide.

The explicit legislator, supportive of democracy, is famous for disrupting a legislative session by throwing a corrupt factory in the room to stop a discussion on a draft law seeking to make it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. After that, he was fined $ 52,000 Hong Kong ($ 6,600) for this law.

He announced on Facebook on Saturday that he and his family were granted protection visas.

Hui wrote: “I express my sincere gratitude to the government of Australia – whether present and first – in order to realize our need to resort and give us this protection.” “This decision reflects the values of freedom, justice and mercy that my family will never take from it.

He also expressed his regret for the exile he was forced. “When people say about me,” Congratulations “, although I thank them politely, I can only feel sad in my heart. How do I congratulate the political refugee who misses his hometown?” books.

“If this is not due to political persecution, I will never think about living in foreign land. Migrants can always return to their cities to visit relatives at any time; exiles have no house.”

Chung, who fled to Britain, had called for Hong Kong’s independence and was sentenced to about four years in prison for secession and money laundering in 2020. He was released based on an supervision order, during which he traveled to Japan and then to the United Kingdom.

In a post on the threads of the social media platform on Sunday, he expressed his enthusiasm in obtaining a refugee status in Britain, as well as a five -year residence permit. He said that despite his challenges over the past few years, including continuous mental health problems, he is still committed to his activity.

The British and Australian authorities did not immediately comment on the situation of activists.

The Hong Kong government did not comment directly on the cases, but it issued a statement on Saturday condemning “sheltering criminals in any way by any country.”

“Any country that houses criminals in Hong Kong in any way that indicates contempt for the rule of law, and greatly respects Hong Kong legal systems and overlaps in a barbarian form in Hong Kong affairs,” the statement said.