Latest news with #AnnaKwok
HKFP
06-08-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Father of activist wanted under nat. sec law pleads not guilty to attempting to handle daughter's insurance funds
The father of overseas activist Anna Kwok, who is wanted under the national security law, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to handle her funds. Kwok Yin-sang, a merchant, appeared at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday afternoon. He faces a charge under Article 23, the city's homegrown security law, for allegedly attempting to deal with funds linked to an 'absconder.' His daughter, Anna Kwok, who lives in the US, is wanted by national security police for suspected foreign collusion. According to the charge sheet, Kwok Yin-sang allegedly attempted to obtain funds from an AIA International life and personal accident insurance policy that belonged to Anna Kwok between January 4 and February 27. Wearing a green T-shirt and a black mask, Kwok Yin-sang said 'not guilty' when asked by the court how he would plead. Judge Victor So set the trial to be conducted on October 8 and 9 after prosecutor Vincent Lee said he estimated it would take at least two days. Lee said he expected to summon seven prosecution witnesses. Article 23 Kwok Yin-sang is the first relative of a wanted activist to be charged with a national security offence. His daughter, Anna Kwok, is one of 34 overseas activists wanted by police under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Authorities are offering up to HK$1 million for information that could lead to their arrest. Invoking Article 23, the Hong Kong government barred anyone from dealing with her assets in the city after Secretary for Security Chris Tang declared her an 'absconder,' along with six other exiled activists, in December. Her father was denied bail after his arrest in late April and spent two and a half weeks in remand before being granted bail on several conditions, including reporting to the police every day and not contacting his daughter. His release marked the first successful bail application in a case charged under Article 23, known officially as the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. Separate to the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects' access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. The law has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and 'regressive.' Authorities, however, cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to 'close loopholes' after the 2019 protests and unrest.
South China Morning Post
06-08-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong activist's father denies security law breach over handling finances
The father of a wanted Hong Kong activist has denied handling his daughter's financial assets in breach of the domestic national security law. Advertisement Merchant Kwok Yin-sang, the father of US-based activist Anna Kwok Fung-yee, pleaded not guilty before West Kowloon Court on Wednesday. The 68-year-old defendant is the first person to be charged with a non-sedition-based offence under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which was enacted in accordance with a requirement under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution. He is alleged to have breached a prohibition against handling an absconder's financial assets by trying to withdraw money from a life and personal accident insurance policy with AIA International under Anna Kwok's name. The offence carries a maximum jail sentence of seven years. The defendant is the father of Anna Kwok, who is among eight activists who had HK$1 million bounties placed on their heads in 2023 for allegedly violating the Beijing-decreed 2020 national security law. Photo: Facebook/annakwokfy Senior Public Prosecutor Vincent Lee Ting-wai revealed that two insurance company employees and a police officer involved in the investigation could be called to testify in the two-day trial.
HKFP
13-06-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Nat. security case of wanted Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok's father adjourned until August
The case of wanted Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok's father, who stands accused of attempting to handle his daughter's funds, has been adjourned until August, pending the submission of insurance documents to the police. Kwok Yin-sang, 68, appeared before Chief Magistrate Victor So at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Friday afternoon for a mention of his case under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. He is the first person charged with 'attempting to deal with, directly or indirectly, any funds or other financial assets or economic resources belonging to, or owned or controlled by, a relevant absconder,' under the city's homegrown security law, also known as Article 23. He is also the first family member of a wanted activist to be prosecuted by Hong Kong authorities. The prosecution applied for an adjournment on Friday, citing that the insurance company involved in the case would need more time to prepare and submit relevant documents to the police. The defence also informed the court that they had requested witness statements from the police but had yet to receive them. The magistrate adjourned the case to August 6 and instructed both parties to keep the court informed of any updates relating to the case. Kwok Yin-sang was allowed to remain on bail under the same conditions granted by the High Court last month. Prosecutors alleged that Kwok Yin-sang had attempted earlier this year to obtain funds from an AIA International life and personal accident insurance policy, with Anna Kwok, based in the US, listed as the insured person. The Hong Kong government barred anyone from dealing with Anna Kwok's assets in the city after Secretary for Security Chris Tang declared her an 'absconder,' along with six other exiled activists, in December. The 28-year-old is among the first group of eight overseas Hong Kong activists wanted by the city's national security police. She is accused of colluding with foreign forces and requesting foreign countries to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China. Separate from the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects' access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. Article 23 was shelved in 2003 amid mass protests, remaining taboo for years. But, on March 23, 2024, it was enacted having been fast-tracked and unanimously approved at the city's opposition-free legislature. The law has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and 'regressive.' Authorities, however, cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to 'close loopholes' after the 2019 protests and unrest.
Miami Herald
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
How China Silences Critics From Afar
United Kingdom-based human rights group Article 19 has released a report on the Chinese government's relentless campaigns to silence dissenting voices beyond China's borders. The report, based on existing research and on recent interviews with 29 members of diaspora communities, details "the myriad tactics and actors involved in China's ongoing transnational repression of protesters around the world." Hong Kongers, Tibetans and others who have fled China out of fear of political persecution have reported being targeted by a sophisticated network said to include Beijing's United Front Work Department, embassy personnel and online influencers. Outspoken opponents of China's human rights record, in particular, have been in the crosshairs, amid Chinese Communist Party (CCP) efforts to stamp out or delegitimize international protest movements, observers say. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with emailed requests for comment. Transnational repression can take the form of digital threats, abduction, forced repatriation and even assassination Article 19 said in its report, released on June 4, the anniversary of China's bloody 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. While such tactics are also employed by governments like Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Beijing is "by far the most prolific perpetrator," the group said, citing Freedom House estimates that millions of Chinese nationals have been targeted in at least 36 countries. "From public acts of physical violence to online intimidation, the targeting of family members-especially against high-profile protest leaders-has a knock-on effect on human rights movements," the report said. In some cases, authorities have gone after the families of prominent dissidents deemed problematic. A recent example of this cited by rights groups centers on Anna Kwok, a U.S.-based activist wanted by the Hong Kong government. In late April, her father and brother were arrested on suspicion of violating the city's National Security Law-a sweeping measure imposed by Beijing following the 2019 pro-democracy protests. "The Chinese government has increased its appalling use of collective punishment against family members of peaceful activists from Hong Kong," Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in May. Michael Caster, head of Article 19's Global China Programme, said in the press release for the report: "The CCP employs its tactics to intimidate people from participating in protests, weakening global support and solidarity for human rights in China and around the world. Transnational repression silences dissent and chills freedom of expression." Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the U.S., told the Washington Post in April: "China firmly opposes the politicization, instrumentalization, or weaponization of human rights issues, as well as foreign interference under the pretext of human rights." With China expected to continue seeking to silence overseas dissidents, Article 19 urged governments to build up their response capacity for suspected cases of transnational repression and improve public awareness. The group also urged tech companies-some accused of complying with Chinese censorship demands-to be more transparent about these communications and to improve digital security and technical support for those targeted. Related Articles Welcome to the Age of Dumb Kissinger | OpinionChina Reacts to Trump's Steel Tariffs HikeNuclear Arms Race Warning as Warheads IncreaseThe 1600: Now Boarding the USS Idiocracy 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
How China Silences Critics From Afar
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. United Kingdom-based human rights group Article 19 has released a report on the Chinese government's relentless campaigns to silence dissenting voices beyond China's borders. The report, based on existing research and on recent interviews with 29 members of diaspora communities, details "the myriad tactics and actors involved in China's ongoing transnational repression of protesters around the world." Why It Matters Hong Kongers, Tibetans and others who have fled China out of fear of political persecution have reported being targeted by a sophisticated network said to include Beijing's United Front Work Department, embassy personnel and online influencers. Outspoken opponents of China's human rights record, in particular, have been in the crosshairs, amid Chinese Communist Party (CCP) efforts to stamp out or delegitimize international protest movements, observers say. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with emailed requests for comment. An attendee holds an electric candle on Liberty Square in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 4, 2025, during a vigil marking the 36th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing. An attendee holds an electric candle on Liberty Square in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 4, 2025, during a vigil marking the 36th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing. Annabelle Chih/Associated Press What To Know Transnational repression can take the form of digital threats, abduction, forced repatriation and even assassination Article 19 said in its report, released on June 4, the anniversary of China's bloody 1989 crackdown on protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. While such tactics are also employed by governments like Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Beijing is "by far the most prolific perpetrator," the group said, citing Freedom House estimates that millions of Chinese nationals have been targeted in at least 36 countries. "From public acts of physical violence to online intimidation, the targeting of family members—especially against high-profile protest leaders—has a knock-on effect on human rights movements," the report said. In some cases, authorities have gone after the families of prominent dissidents deemed problematic. A recent example of this cited by rights groups centers on Anna Kwok, a U.S.-based activist wanted by the Hong Kong government. In late April, her father and brother were arrested on suspicion of violating the city's National Security Law—a sweeping measure imposed by Beijing following the 2019 pro-democracy protests. "The Chinese government has increased its appalling use of collective punishment against family members of peaceful activists from Hong Kong," Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in May. What People Are Saying Michael Caster, head of Article 19's Global China Programme, said in the press release for the report: "The CCP employs its tactics to intimidate people from participating in protests, weakening global support and solidarity for human rights in China and around the world. Transnational repression silences dissent and chills freedom of expression." Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the U.S., told the Washington Post in April: "China firmly opposes the politicization, instrumentalization, or weaponization of human rights issues, as well as foreign interference under the pretext of human rights." Article 19's Recommendations With China expected to continue seeking to silence overseas dissidents, Article 19 urged governments to build up their response capacity for suspected cases of transnational repression and improve public awareness. The group also urged tech companies—some accused of complying with Chinese censorship demands—to be more transparent about these communications and to improve digital security and technical support for those targeted.
