The UK Metropolitan Police has opened an investigation regarding a social media post by pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) groups that targeted Chinese dissidents. The WeChat post offered a bounty as a reward for information on the whereabouts of two Hong Kong activists living in the UK.
The post was aimed at Simon Cheng and Nathan Law.
According to The Telegraph, both Cheng and Law have gone into hiding in fear of the reward posted on WeChat. They believe it to be part of an organized campaign coordinated by CCP supporters to shut down their activities or even physically harm them.
Simon Cheng has worked in the Hong Kong British consulate and was tortured by mainland Chinese authorities in 2019. Nathan Law is regarded to be one of the most recognized international voices advocating for democracy in Hong Kong.
In an interview with the BBC, 29-year-old Cheng claimed he was detained in Communist China in August for 15 days. He was shackled, blindfolded, and hooded. Cheng was forced to remain in stressful positions such as squatting against a wall for hours. He was beaten and forced to sign confessions that would indict him of inciting political unrest through protests that were happening in the city.
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Cheng said he was not associated with the protests. Instead, he was simply performing his duties assigned to him by the British Consulate, which included observing and reporting about the protests.
The Chinese government apparently questioned Cheng about his role in the protests and whether he was working on behalf of the UK government to provide resources and funding for the protestors. According to the BBC’s sources, British government officials felt that his claims were credible.
“We are outraged by the disgraceful mistreatment that Mr. Cheng faced when he was in detention in mainland China… and we’ve made clear that we expect the Chinese authorities to review and hold to account those responsible,” British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC. Raab had also summoned the Chinese ambassador.
In response, the Chinese foreign ministry accused the UK government of interfering in what it claims are matters pertaining to Hong Kong, that is, China’s domestic affairs. The ministry further warned that the UK’s actions harm its own interests.
Nathan Law was the key figure in the “Umbrella Movement,” which was a public protest in Hong Kong against the government for using unconstitutional actions against political protesters. The protests shut down major parts of central Hong Kong for several weeks, gathering international attention.
In an earlier interview with Breitbart, Law said, “The way that China has been dealing with Hong Kong is to transplant the dominance of all power, so they are crushing the civil society including the rights of artistic expression and sorts of rights. This is definitely a demonstration of Hong Kong’s One Country, Two Systems annihilation and turning into One Country, One System.”
Cheng is also falsely accused of being involved in a recent street fight in London’s Chinatown between “Stop Anti-Asian Hate” supporters and those who demand an independent Hong Kong. The WeChat posts from “Anonymous Boss” came just after this event.
