Hong Kong pro-democracy activists granted asylum in Australia, Britain
Tony Chung, an activist who was imprisoned under Hong Kong's sweeping national security law, and Ted Hui, a former lawmaker who was facing trial for his role in anti-government protests in 2019, both announced over the weekend that they have received asylum in the countries where they now live.
They are among dozens of activists on the run from Hong Kong authorities.
Civil liberties in the city have been greatly eroded since Beijing in 2020 imposed a national security law essentially criminalizing dissent in the former British colony. Both Beijing and Hong Kong have hailed the security law as bringing stability to the financial hub.
Hui, who fled Hong Kong in December 2020, is part of a group of overseas activists who are targeted by police bounties of up to 1 million Hong Kong dollars (USD 1,27,800). The former lawmaker is now working as a lawyer in Adelaide.
He announced on Facebook on Saturday that he and his family have been granted protection visas.
'I express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Australia — both present and former — for recognising our need for asylum and granting us this protection," Hui wrote. 'This decision reflects values of freedom, justice, and compassion that my family will never take for granted." While in Hong Kong, Hui had been an outspoken pro-democracy lawmaker. He was also known for disrupting a legislative session after he threw a rotten plant in the chamber to stop a debate of the national anthem bill — controversial legislation making it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem.
He was subsequently fined 52,000 Hong Kong dollars (USD 6,600) for the act.
Chung, who had advocated for Hong Kong's independence, was sentenced to almost four years in prison for secession and money laundering in 2020. He was released on a supervision order, during which he travelled to Japan, from where he fled to Britain seeking asylum.
In a post on social media platform Threads on Sunday, he expressed his excitement at receiving refugee status in Britain along with a five-year resident permit.
He said that despite his challenges over the past few years, including persistent mental health problems, he remains committed to his activism.
British and Australian authorities didn't immediately comment on the activists' statuses.
Hong Kong's government did not comment directly on the cases but issued a statement on Saturday condemning 'the harbouring of criminals in any form by any country." 'Any country that harbours Hong Kong criminals in any form shows contempt for the rule of law, grossly disrespects Hong Kong's legal systems and barbarically interferes in the affairs of Hong Kong," the statement read. (AP) NPK NPK
view comments
First Published:
August 17, 2025, 19:45 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
a minute ago
- Mint
India may crack open the gates to Chinese inflows
New Delhi: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, India is weighing easier rules for Chinese investments in select sectors in another step to restore ties as New Delhi seeks to bolster trade amid US tariff uncertainty, said two people aware of the matter. The proposal under consideration is to identify non-sensitive areas such as specific segments of manufacturing, renewable energy, and consumer goods, where investment proposals from Chinese companies could be cleared through a faster and simplified approval process, said the first of the two people cited above. 'Talks are underway at the diplomatic level to find a workable solution, keeping sensitive sectors such as defence and telecom, and critical digital infrastructure to ensure that national security is not compromised even as economic benefits are realized," said the second person. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity. 'As there is no plan to review Press Note 3, investments from China will be considered through the government approval route and not via the automatic route," this person said. Under Press Note 3, investments from countries sharing a land border with India must be approved by the government first. India restricted Chinese investments after the deadly clash between the soldiers of the two nations in Ladakh's Galwan Valley in trade continued to grow as India relies on its neighbour for imports of pharmaceutical raw materials to electronic imports from China increased from $94.57 billion in FY22 to $113.45 billion in FY25. In contrast, exports to China declined from $21.26 billion in FY22 to $14.25 billion in FY25. Inbound shipments from China during April–July 2025 stood at $40.66 billion, up 13.1% from a year earlier. Exports to China jumped 20% to $5.76 billion during the period. On its part, China has also exerted pressure on India by leveraging its dominance in critical sectors. Its near-monopoly on rare earth magnets gives it significant leverage against India, which is heavily reliant on imports. China has also strategically controlled the supply of tunnel-boring machines (TBMs) used in major infrastructure projects, causing delays and increasing costs. This is compounded by the withdrawal of Chinese tech professionals from Indian manufacturing units, potentially disrupting operations. As Trump announced tariffs on its trading partners, New Delhi started easing some of the curbs to improve strained ties. India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals after a five-year gap. In a parallel move, New Delhi is preparing to restart direct flights to Beijing from next month, restoring air connectivity that has remained suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic. Modi will also visit China for the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Queries sent to the ministries of commerce and external affairs remained unanswered till press time. Need to boost FDI Trump, meanwhile, imposed the highest 50% tariffs on India, including a 25% penalty for buying Russian oil. The first set of 25% duty came into effect on 7 August, while another 25% will come into force on 27 August, giving India time to negotiate. However, the sixth round of talks for the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), which was scheduled for 25 August, has been cancelled, and no fresh dates have been announced, leaving the negotiations in limbo. 'As India aims to achieve developed nation status by 2047, building a stronger manufacturing ecosystem and attracting greater investment(from China)without jeopardising the domestic sector will be the key drivers of this ambition," said Dr Amit Singh, associate professor, Special Centre for National Security Studies at JNU. India attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $81.04 billion in FY25, up 14% from the previous year, data from the commerce ministry showed. The services sector emerged as the top recipient of FDI equity inflows, accounting for 19% of the total, with investments rising nearly 41% to $9.35 billion in FY25. However, FDI inflows into India had peaked at $84.83 billion in FY22, according to data shared by minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary in the Lok Sabha on 10 March. FDI slipped to $71.35 billion in FY23 and $71.27 billion in FY24, amid concerns over a potential global recession, economic crises triggered by geopolitical conflicts, and rising protectionist measures worldwide. Attracting Chinese investments is 'important as it could help replenish investment and address the recent decline in FDI flows", said Biswajit Dhar, a trade policy expert from the Delhi-based think tank, Council for Social Development. 'If India is able to attract more export-oriented investments—what is often referred to as investment-led trade—it could also have a positive effect on the country's rising trade deficit." The government targets to attract $100 billion in FDI in FY26. Modi's first visit since 2019 Meanwhile, Modi is scheduled to travel to Tianjin, China, to attend the SCO summit from 31 August to 1 September. This will mark his first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020. He last visited that country in 2019. Ahead of the summit, the Prime Minister will visit Japan on 30 August to participate in the annual India-Japan Summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, after which he will head to China, according to media reports. In the run-up to Modi's visit, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be in New Delhi from 18–19 August for the 24th round of special representatives' talks on the India-China boundary question with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, according to a statement from the ministry of external affairs.
Indian Express
a minute ago
- Indian Express
Man dies hours after kite string slits his neck on flyover in Southeast Delhi
A 30-year-old man, who was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre on Saturday after a kite string had slit his neck while he was on his bike on a flyover in Southeast Delhi, succumbed to his injuries, police said on Sunday. Police sources said that the man, identified as Rajneesh, had wrapped a cloth around his neck as precaution, but the string managed to cut through the cloth and slit his neck. Police added that Rajneesh died just hours after being taken to the hospital. The incident was reported around 4.40 pm on the carriageway connecting Sarita Vihar to Faridabad. 'He was found bleeding heavily from the neck… Preliminary investigation suggests that he was injured from manjha or a kite string,' DCP (South East) Hemant Tiwari had said on Saturday. Police also said that Rajneesh had attempted to stem the bleeding before collapsing on the road. Despite being banned in Delhi, the sale of Chinese manjha — a nylon string coated with crushed pieces of glass — has not stopped. In recent years, it has been linked to multiple cases of deaths and injuries where mostly people riding two-wheelers have been reported as the victims. On June 27, Yash Goswami (22) died after his throat was slit by manjha on Rani Jhansi flyover in North Delhi. The Karawal Nagar resident was on his way home. In another incident on July 2, though the string did not claim the life of Axis Bank employee Prakash, it slashed his face while he was on the Shastri Park flyover on his bike.
Hindustan Times
a minute ago
- Hindustan Times
Indian man who almost lost his hand in brutal machete attack granted 2-year visa extension in Australia
An Indian man received an extended Australian visa after he nearly lost a hand in an alleged machete attack. According to reports, the government considered his case on compassionate grounds and extended his visa. Saurabh Anand was allegedly attacked by a group of five teenagers with a machete outside a shopping mall in Australia. (Representational image). (Unsplash/Taylor Daugherty) Saurabh Anand was allegedly attacked by a group of teenagers at a shopping centre in Altona Meadows, in Victoria, about a month ago, reported ABC News. Five teenagers are charged in the alleged attack, and police also arrested a 15-year-old in connection with the case. How does his visa extension help? Anand was facing deportation as his visa was about to expire in August. However, he was granted extension to help him continue his medical treatments in Australia. Though the extension will allow him to stay in the country for two more years, he is reportedly on the pathway to permanent residency. Saurabh Anand on his visa extension: 'This is a moment where I feel relieved that the government and the community has come together to support me through one of the most horrifying moments in my life,' Anand said. He added, 'There are still good people out there who want to take care of each other, and we are a part of a community that could stand together.' Local MP speaks out: Local MP Tim Watts shared an Instagram post about Anand, revealing what he told the Indian man after meeting him. 'When I met with Saurabh I had one message for him: 'You're not alone. No one should have had to experience what you did, but everyone in our community in Melbourne's west is with you for your recovery',' Watts wrote. 'My office has been doing everything we can to support Saurabh through this traumatic time. I'm relieved that thanks to this Ministerial intervention, he no longer has to worry about his visa status and can now focus on his recovery,' Watts added. Reportedly, Anand is experiencing a rapid decline in his health due to pain and severe injuries.
