Hong Kong pro-democracy activists granted asylum in Australia and
Britain
[August 18, 2025]
By SIMINA MISTREANU
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and a former
lawmaker who are wanted by the city’s authorities have been granted
asylum in Great Britain and Australia, respectively.
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 ($127,800). 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
($6,600) for the act.
[to top of second column]
|
In this image from a video, Ted Hui, a former lawmaker who was
facing trial for his role in anti-government protests in 2019 in
Hong Kong, speaks in Adelaide, Australia Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025.
(Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP)
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
traveled 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.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
