A Hong Kong activist facing charges of secession filed under Hong Kong's national security law has been detained due to his alleged attempt to seek asylum at the consulate of the United States.
Onetime pro-independence group, Studentlocalism, identified the 19-year-old Hong Kong activist as Tony Chung. Aside from Chung, two others, a man and a woman, were arrested, according to the Police.
They were identified by Studenlocalism on their Facebook page as William Chan and Yanni Ho. The three were arrested after being accused of secessionist comments on social media.
Based on information from Friends of Hong Kong, an activist organization based in the United Kingdom, who stated that they had worked with Chung, prior to his arrest, he had planned to claim asylum at the U.S. Consulate in the city, The China Times reported.
The three members of Studentlocalism had previously been arrested in July concerning social media posts by a page that claimed that it represents the group's international arm.
The group's branch in Hong Kong stated that it had disbanded following the implementation of the national security law in the city by authorities from China. The said law bans subversion, secession, and collusion with foreign forces.
However, Police continued to accuse Chung and the other members of the group, who are still based in Hong Kong, of continuing their advocacy for the city's independence from Beijing.
The said breach of the national security law constitutes a sentence of three to 10 years imprisonment, which can be bumped for life in prison for "grave offenses."
In an interview with CNN, a spokesman from the Hong Kong Government on Wednesday refused to give any comments regarding the arrests but stated that there is "no justification for any so-called 'political asylum' for people in Hong Kong."
The spokesman further stressed that people in Hong Kong are being prosecuted for acts against the laws of the city regardless of their background or political beliefs.
In addition, he also stated that the trials are being conducted in accordance with the principle of the law by an independent jury.
Since the implementation of the national security law earlier this year, many Hongkongers have applied and succeeded in seeking asylum overseas. The United States government has also stated that it would prioritize refugees coming from Hong Kong, while politicians have also been vocal in their criticism against China's crackdown in the city, Daily Mail reported.
However, giving asylum to activists within Hong Kong may cause a huge diplomatic dispute between Washington and Beijing. A move that may imperil the future of the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong.
Based on U.S. law, the government "does not grant asylum in its diplomatic premises abroad." It is also stated that those who want to claim asylum or seek refugee status should be in the country to do so. While there have been several instances in the past that activists were granted protection by the U.S. consulate, it has caused major rifts in the relationship between the two countries.
As of the moment, there have been no comments yet from the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong.
Related article: India US Ratifies Defensive Agreement Over Line of Actual Control Dispute with China
