Leaving Hong Kong: the young activists go into exile
Faced with Beijing’s tightening grip on their city, more and more young Hong Kongers have decided to leave to seek refuge abroad, many of them in the UK. Jowharfollowed Mui-Mui, a 15-year-old girl who decided to move and flew to London, where the local community in Hong Kong continues to grow week after week.
After the anti-government protests in 2019, with hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers braving the growing influence of the Chinese government over the semi-autonomous region, Beijing took matters into its own hands in Hong Kong.
On June 30, 2020, the Chinese legislature unanimously passed a new national security law for Hong Kong. Under the pretext of bringing peace and stability to the former British colony after months of unrest, the law paves the way for prosecution of anyone who defies the rule of the Chinese Communist Party.
While the law has yet to be used to convict anyone, since its enactment, hundreds of opposition activists, lawmakers, or regular protesters have been arrested under the law, with dozens refused bail and some serving up to more than a year in prison under other laws. convicted.
Mui-Mui and her cousin, who is also a pro-democracy activist, were photographed before leaving Hong Kong. © FRANCE 24
This has prompted thousands of Hong Kongers to leave the city. For many former protesters and pro-democracy activists, leaving is a way of avoiding persecution.
The former colonial ruler of Hong Kong, the UK, has become a base for many fleeing Beijing’s oppression and who continue to fight for democracy in Hong Kong at a distance.
