At approximately 5:00 p.m. Hong Kong local time on Tuesday (October 27), four young people from Hong Kong entered the U.S. Consulate there in a group. One of them, 20-year-old Wang, was born in the United States and raised in Hong Kong, and is seeking help from the U.S. government as a U.S. citizen. The other three wished to seek political asylum from the U.S. government. However, the four of them returned to the U.S. in vain and soon after walked out of the consulate. Wang was interviewed by the Voice of America’s Chinese Desk on Wednesday.
Voice of America Reporter: Can you tell us about Tuesday, please?
Wang: We were supposed to arrive at the U.S. Consulate around 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning to seek help, five of us were seeking political asylum. I entered the consulate as a U.S. citizen seeking assistance. We were all under surveillance by national security authorities and had made anti-communist statements, so we were concerned about our personal safety.
Before the operation, however, at about 8:20 a.m., one person was arrested by National Security; another person withdrew from the operation, but the person who withdrew was also taken away by National Security in the afternoon. So, we arrived at the U.S. Consulate around 5:00 pm.
After entering the consulate, I waited in the waiting area at the front desk for the officers to come down for questioning; my three companions waited by the stairs. Later, a few officials came down. The officer in charge of civil affairs talked to me to find out what was going on. In fact, they knew about my situation, that I was a U.S. citizen, and that Hong Kong police and national security officers were looking for me. After discussion, they told me that there was nothing they could do to protect me.
The other three were also told that they could not get any protection, but left their respective phone numbers and also said to stay in touch. The consulate ordered us to leave. In short, it was all about keeping in touch and no real action could be taken.
(Reporter: The Guardian says: “The US will not grant asylum to people at its diplomatic offices – asylum seekers must be physically present in the US. But the State Department’s website shows that the process for applying for refugee status is complicated, with the Hong Kong consulate as the office.”)
VOA Reporter: Where are you now? What is the current status?
Wang: We waited for news and contacted others in the safe house that was provided by the people who helped us.
Regarding myself, there was a very important situation. On Tuesday, I was supposed to go to court because of a ruling. I didn’t go because a lawyer from the law firm representing me and one of my associates suddenly jumped to the Hong Kong Department of Justice, which means that the defense went from being the defense to being the prosecution, issued a notice and went straight there. We were therefore worried about not getting a fair trial.
I was a front-line protester in the Hong Kong protests and continued to fight even after I was prosecuted for it. I have some physical and psychological sequelae, and I am unable to find proper treatment in Hong Kong. I feel that I should not discuss these issues with the doctors here for fear that the information will be leaked and I may face further prosecution.
(Reporter: Wang’s name is on the blacklist of the pro-communist “Hong Kong whistleblower” website. The site’s “Hong Kong Uncovered” file currently lists 2,766 people, with information including their English and Chinese names, photos, dates of birth, “misdeeds,” and the names of their parents. Wang is classified as a “Hong Kong independence thug,” and is “charged with illegal assembly at Harcourt Road on June 12 last year, criminal damage by spray-painting the exterior wall of the main entrance of Wanchai Police Headquarters on June 21, and possession of dangerous drugs outside the Sau Fong Shopping Mall on Wong Tai Sin’s Wan Wong Street on Aug. 27. “).
Voice of America Reporter: You are anxious to leave Hong Kong right now due to circumstances and personal situations, but it seems difficult, right?
I have tried many avenues, but both the water and land routes have been blocked. The best hope is for the U.S. government to step in and help U.S. citizens return to the United States. The U.S. Consulate is also aware of the situation.
I’m very worried about my safety, so I think it’s better not to disclose my name, just call me Wang, and don’t disclose my picture. I was born in San Jose, California, USA, and grew up in Hong Kong. My parents’ families are all in Hong Kong and are Hong Kong residents. Under normal circumstances, I would be a third year student at Hang Seng University in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is my hometown, so I am trying to defend my hometown in this Hong Kong protest. Also, my family doesn’t know much about the details of my current situation, and I don’t dare to tell them too much for fear that they will be harassed by the police and Chinese communist agents.
(Reporter: The Guardian, BBC and other media outlets widely reported that on Tuesday, Hong Kong’s newly formed state security department arrested three pro-democracy activists outside the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong, including John Chung, 19, a former leader of a now-defunct pro-independence group who is out on bail. Hong Kong police confirmed the arrests Tuesday night, saying two men and a woman between the ages of 17 and 21 were arrested on suspicion of publishing content that incites independence, a violation of national security laws.)
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