The telegraph
Five Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters seek asylum in the United States
Five Hong Kong protesters who reportedly escaped by boat to Taiwan six months ago arrived in the United States and intend to apply for asylum, according to an activist group. The activists, all under the age of 30, faced arrests or charges related to protests in Hong Kong and fled the city by boat in July last year, said the Hong Kong Council for Democracy (HKDC), based in Washington DC . They are the last protesters to seek refuge in the West after Beijing imposed a national security law in Hong Kong in June, which makes it easier to crack down on dissidents in the Chinese city. In recent weeks, police have arrested dozens of pro-democracy activists and former lawmakers in Hong Kong. The HKDC statement did not confirm that the five who are now in the United States have been in Taiwan – a popular destination for protesters, but which closed its borders last year because of the pandemic. Simon Chu, managing director of the nonprofit organization HKDC, said he welcomed the five to the United States last week after a “dangerous journey to freedom”. “The dangerous journey made by these activists illustrates how difficult it is for Hong Kong residents to seek a safe haven in the U.S. and that safe passage options are limited,” he said. “His desperate effort exemplifies the rapid deterioration in the condition of human rights and the growing humanitarian crisis that Hong Kong is now in,” he said. Taiwanese media reported last year that the five were intercepted by the Taiwanese coast guard as they tried to escape to the autonomous island in late July. Taiwanese officials have repeatedly refused to comment on the case. Activists say the five were kept incommunicado in Taiwan while negotiations were being held to help them leave for the United States. In August, another group of Hong Kong residents tried to escape to Taiwan on a speedboat, but they were captured by the Chinese coast guard. Ten of the 12 Hong Kong residents were sentenced to up to three years in prison for organizing and participating in an illegal border crossing last month, after a “secret” trial that was condemned by Britain and other countries.