14 December 2023 - Today I, as a US asylee, awoke to the news that the Hong Kong police have placed a million-dollar bounty on my head. The arrest warrant is for my advocacy in the US, and in particular, my role in calling for sanctions on the Hong Kong judges and prosecutors involved in the crackdown on Hong Kong’s civil liberties and freedoms, as well as engaging in what they are calling “hostile activities” against the People’s Republic of China.
I knew from the day I left Hong Kong to seek asylum in the US, that this was an inevitable outcome. Through my decade-long activism, I have witnessed and experienced the extent of the CCP’s harassment and intimidation of people who hold different views to them. This is not just with fellow Hong Kongers, but also Tibetans, Uyghurs and other Chinese dissidents, all of whom are targeted simply for supporting democracy and freedom and speaking up for their rights.
This is nevertheless what I, and many of the people who have been charged with violating the National Security Law have been doing in Hong Kong and abroad – to call for freedom for our beloved city Hong Kong, but also for my fellow Hong Kongers and our dear friends among the thousands who are currently being held in prison for doing that exact same thing.
For that reason alone, I will continue to advocate for the sanctioning of the Hong Kong officials and their mouthpieces. I will keep calling for the release of political prisoners in Hong Kong and for the CCP to be held accountable for violating the Basic Law of Hong Kong and human rights.
I would like to offer my solidarity to all those who also have had bounties placed on them and support their courage for standing up to the CCP. I also offer my sincere thanks to my colleagues, co-workers and friends who have reached out to offer support and comfort during this unsettling time.
Once again, I call on the international community, particularly, the US, UK, and Australia where the bountied individuals are residing, to fight against the CCP’s transnational repression, interference, and international human rights abuses.
Frances Hui
Policy and Advocacy Coordinator
Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation