Former Hong Kong legislator and founding chairman of the Hong Kong United Democrats, Mr. Lo Kwun Chung, announced on Wednesday via the international social media Facebook that he has been granted political asylum by the British Home Office.
It is reported that Law became the youngest ever member of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong in 2016 at the age of 23, but was later stripped of his membership along with Leung Sung-hang, Yau Wai-ching, Yao Songyan and Liu Xiaoli due to the so-called “oath-taking controversy”. He was wanted by Hong Kong police on charges of “inciting secession, colluding with foreign countries or forces outside the country to endanger national security” after Beijing authorities introduced the national security law in Hong Kong on July 1 last year, and subsequently went into exile overseas.
Law said on Facebook on Wednesday that although his application for political asylum was approved, the status of the case was not representative of the situation faced by most of the handlers. He said that based on the political cases he has faced and the Chinese Communist Party’s wanted under the National Security Law, there is much evidence that he was forced to leave his home due to political persecution and will not be able to return to his country in the foreseeable future. However, other exiles’ cases do not necessarily receive media attention and thus have news to back them up, or they may be questioned because they involve armed conflict, or they may be fearful of their comrades’ arrest and leave Hong Kong without concrete evidence. These friends may not be able to provide sufficient evidence immediately when faced with refugee approval, and they may be confused and anxious about their future while waiting for interviews and results.
He hopes that his case will help the British Home Office to better understand the complex political situation in Hong Kong, and to give exiled Hong Kong people as much discretion as possible. Without compromising the threshold criteria for refugee claims, it is important to ensure that the persecuted protesters can stay in a safe place.
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