A former employee at the British consulate in Hong Kong has been granted political asylum in what he believes is the first successful UK asylum case from the former British colony.
Simon Cheng (鄭文傑), who alleges that he was detained and tortured in China last year, said that he hopes his successful application encourages other democracy advocates from the territory to seek protection in the UK, while adding that they have been discussing a plan to create a parliament-in-exile to keep the flame of democracy alive and send a message to China that freedom cannot be crushed.
Cheng, 29, said that while he is relieved asylum had been granted, he remains worried “they will take my family members as hostage, and send more agents to crush down the pro-democracy cause and activities outside of Hong Kong.”
Photo: Reuters
Beijing imposed national security legislation on the territory this week, bypassing the Hong Kong Legislative Council in a move that has been condemned by the US, the EU and the UK.
Cheng, who was a trade and investment officer at the British consulate tasked with attracting Chinese investment to Scotland, said that he joined the protests in the territory last year to collect information for the consulate.
He went missing on Aug. 8 after being detained while returning to Hong Kong from a business trip to Shenzhen, China.
Cheng has said he was hooded, beaten and deprived of sleep during 15 days of detention, as agents sought information on the protesters.
He was also questioned about Britain’s alleged role in supporting the demonstrations, he said.
Beijing has not directly addressed Cheng’s allegations, but the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed protests from the British government over the affair as “so-called concerns or complaints.”
The ministry cited a statement by Shenzhen police saying that Cheng’s legal rights had been protected and that he had “admitted his offense completely,” an apparent reference to a confession of soliciting a prostitute.
Cheng said that he had confessed to the offense of soliciting a prostitute to avoid harsher treatment.
Cheng said that he applied for asylum in the UK late last year and received it on Tuesday.
“My case is about political persecution intrinsically,” Cheng said in London on Thursday. “I hope my case could be a precedent for other Hong Kongers who are not protected by the British National Overseas lifeboat scheme. They can quote my case to apply for asylum and seek protection.”
The UK on Wednesday announced that it would extend residency rights for Hong Kongers eligible for British National Overseas passports.
The passports were introduced in the 1980s under colonial rule. British officials estimate that about 2.9 million people are eligible, but those born after 1997 cannot apply, leaving out many young student activists at the core of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement.
Cheng urged the protesters not to give up and pledged to help their cause from abroad.
“We’re developing the alternative way, a pro-democracy cause overseas to reinforce those helpless people who have no choice or chose to stay in Hong Kong,” Cheng said.
“I do believe in the future we have less and less legal ground to fight for democracy within the system, within Hong Kong, peacefully, safely and legally,” he said.
“A shadow parliament can send a very clear signal to Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities that democracy need not be at the mercy of Beijing,” he added. “We want to set up non-official civic groups that surely reflect the views of the Hong Kong people.”
He said that while the idea was still at an early stage, such a parliament-in-exile would support the people of Hong Kong and the pro-democracy movement.
Cheng declined to say where the parliament might be located.
“We need to be clever to deal with the expanding totalitarianism: they are showing more powerful muscle to suppress, so we need to be more subtle and agile,” he said. “We should stand with the Hong Kong people and support those staying in Hong Kong.”
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