The UK has granted asylum to pro-democracy Hong Kong citizen, Nathan Law. Law, who fled Hong Kong in 2020, mentioned on Wednesday that he was granted political asylum by the Home Office and his arrest warrant underneath the Beijing-imposed nationwide safety legislation was proof that he was “exposed to severe political persecution.”
The Chinese authorities haven’t taken nicely to the information and accused the UK of sheltering a “criminal suspect”, the Guardian reported.
Law is one among many abroad figures wished by Beijing for prison acts of dissent as secession, sedition, international collusion and terrorism. He first gained consideration throughout the 2014 ‘Umbrella Movement’, an enormous civil disobedience motion and shaped the now-defunct Demosisto political get together. He fled Hong Kong in June 2020 citing unknown risks underneath the brand new legal guidelines imposed by Beijing and since he had spoken to the US Congress concerning the disaster in Hong Kong.
Under Beijing’s nationwide safety legislation, over 10,200 individuals have been arrested for the reason that mass protests started in Hong Kong in 2019, the Guardian reported. Law’s Demosisto co-founders, Agnes Chow and Joshua Wong are at present in jail together with different pro-democracy figures and civilian protesters.
On Thursday, Zhao Lijian, the spokesman for China’s ministry of international affairs mentioned, “We firmly oppose the harbouring of criminals in any form by any country, organisation or individual. If the UK openly endorses those seeking Hong Kong independence and shelters wanted suspects, it will constitute gross interference in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs and a breach of international law and basic governing international relations.”
Law hopes his situation would assist enhance consciousness concerning the grave and sophisticated scenario in Hong Kong. He tweeted, “Some may not have enough evidence to substantiate their claims due to lack of media reports of fleeing before the persecution. Fears over their claims being denied, most of them live in distress and anxiety.”
Britain’s supply of an escape route for Law and doubtlessly tens of millions of different Hong Kong residents from the brutal Chinese crackdown has change into a bitter level of rivalry between the 2 nations.
