Canadian activist accuses Hong Kong of meddling after reward for arrest

VANCOUVER: So, there’s this Canadian activist, Victor Ho, who’s really fired up. He’s accusing Hong Kong of sticking its nose into Canada’s business after they put out a warrant for his arrest. It’s a pretty big deal.

Ho and another activist, Joe Tay, are part of a group that Hong Kong police are targeting. They’ve even put a reward of about C$180,000 for info leading to their arrests. Can you believe that?

The warrants say they’re wanted for serious stuff like secession and collusion with foreign forces. Ho took to Facebook, joking that the warrant is the “best Christmas present” he could get.

He’s proud of it, but he also points out that as a Canadian, he’s got rights under the Canadian Charter. He’s just exercising his freedom of speech, you know?

Ho used to be the editor-in-chief of a newspaper and even tried to set up a “Hong Kong parliament” in Canada back in 2022. It’s wild how things have changed.

In Hong Kong, only “patriots” can run for office now, thanks to a law passed by China. This has led to a lot of pro-democracy activists getting arrested.

Meanwhile, Tay is busy with his own activism and is even looking to get a Conservative Party nomination in Ontario. Talk about staying active!

The Hong Kong police claim these activists have “absconded overseas.” They’ve been after other prominent activists too, so this isn’t just a one-off thing.

Ho is questioning if Hong Kong is trying to pull off another cross-border arrest or if Beijing wants Canada to be more like a subordinate state. It’s a lot to unpack.

He even joked about how the reward has given him some “fugitive dignity.” It’s like he’s saying, “Hey, I’m worth something!”

Neither Ho nor Tay have commented yet, but this whole situation is definitely heating up.

— With files from Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2024

The Canadian Press