Carney’s ministers say new arrest warrants received by Hong Kong for exile threats to Canadians’ safety
Two ministers from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration condemned Hong Kong police’s new arrest warrants against 19 overseas activists and provided information provided by the rewards to obtain the captured information.
Officials accused activists of violating the national security law imposed by Beijing.
“The actions taken by Hong Kong threaten Canada’s sovereignty and the security of the people of the country,” Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said in a joint statement Saturday afternoon.
“Hong Kong authorities attempted to carry out transnational repression abroad, including threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or Canada, will not be tolerated.”
On Friday, the Hong Kong King police statement said the organization called the Hong Kong parliament aims to promote self-determination and establish the Hong Kong Constitution, accusing it of using illegal means to overthrow and undermine China’s basic systems or overturn the city or China’s authority.
At the request of the police, the city court issued an arrest warrant to activists Elmer Yuen, Johnny Fok, Tony Choi, Victor Ho, Keung Ka-wai and 14 others.
They allegedly organized or participated in Hong Kong parliamentary elections abroad and established or became members of the organization.
Although the organization calls itself the Hong Kong Parliament, its Election Organization Committee was established in Toronto in 2022 and has limited influence.
Anand and Anandasangaree said the people targeted by Hong Kong authorities “including Canadians and people with close ties to Canada.”
Ministers also said Canada reiterated its previous call for the repeal of the National Security Act and the withdrawal of all relevant warrants and bounties.
Ministers say bounty is enlarged online
Among the 19 militants, police have provided information to 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($174,580 CDNs), resulting in the arrest of Yuen, Ho, Ho, Fok and Choi, when a warrant for a separate activity was issued.
For the remaining 15 people, a reward of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars ($34,915 CDN) was provided, urging residents to provide information about the case or the people.
Victor Ho, one of the recent Canadian activists targeted by Hong Kong, talked with CBC News about why the bounty of his arrest would not stop him from continuing his pro-democracy work.
“This marks the third time Hong Kong has issued an international bounty, which represents a sharp escalation of the transnational repression of the People’s Republic of China,” Anand and Anandasangaree said.
Ministers added in a statement Canada’s rapid response mechanismThis supports Canada’s global efforts to protest foreign state-sponsored disinformation, finding bounty amplified “in an untrue and coordinated way” by online accounts targeting Chinese-speaking communities.
Over the past two years, Hong Kong authorities have issued other arrest warrants against various activists based on active overseas, including former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law and Ted Hui.
