Despite her family in Hong Kong being interrogated by the national security police, Carmen Lau said she will ‘continue fighting for democracy.’
The Hong Kong Police Force’s National Security Department (NSD) on Feb. 10 detained the aunt and uncle of former Hong Kong district councilor Carmen Lau (Lau Ka-man), who’s now living in exile in the UK.
Lau, who fled Hong Kong in 2021 amid political persecution by Beijing for being elected in 2019 as a pro-democracy district councilor in the city, had just participated in a Feb. 8 rally in London to protest the proposed construction of a new Chinese Communist Party (CCP) embassy on a London heritage site.
NSD agents went to the residence of Lau’s aunt and uncle in Hong Kong around 7 a.m. local time on Feb. 10, after which the pair were taken to Sha Tin Police Station for interrogation. Both were released by police at noon the same day.
Lau said on social platform X: “The national security apparatus has now extended its reach to my extended family. The timing and intent behind this move are quite obvious—coming after our meeting with the Foreign Secretary and the protest against the Chinese Super-Embassy. This is nothing more than an attempt to intimidate Hongkongers, both in Hong Kong and overseas.” She said this will not intimidate her and that she will continue to advocate for democracy in Hong Kong.
In another post, Lau expressed her concern for her relatives, saying, “We haven’t been in touch for a long time. I can only take this opportunity to wish everyone well.”
On Feb. 8, Lau spoke as thousands of protesters rallied against the CCP’s intended construction of a “super embassy” in central London.
During Hong Kong’s
anti-extradition movement in 2019, Lau was the deputy secretary-general of the defunct
Civic Party of Hong Kong and was elected as a member of the Wong Tai Sin/Wang Tau Hom constituency. During a
clash between protesters and police at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Lau and several newly elected pro-democracy district councilors asked the police to leave the university and allow third parties to
enter to provide humanitarian aid to injured protesters.
In 2021, when the Hong Kong government required district councilors to swear an oath of allegiance to China’s communist party, Lau and a large number of pro-democracy councilors resigned. By December 2021, Lau was listed as wanted by Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for allegedly violating the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance. She was accused of inciting others to boycott the 2021 Legislative Council election or cast invalid votes through public activities.
In exile, Lau currently serves as senior international advocacy associate at the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC).
HKDC issued a statement on Feb. 10 condemning the NSD’s action.
“Today’s actions from national security agents in Hong Kong demonstrate anew the regime’s cruelty and underhandedness,“ the council stated.$1 Million Bounty
In December 2024, Lau and six other exiled Hong Kong pro-democracy activists were placed on a Hong Kong government wanted list with a HK$1 million ($130,000) bounty. Lau was charged with “inciting separatism” and “colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security” by the NSD, both of which carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In recent months, the NSD has continued its acts of intimidation and stepped up its frequency of interrogating relatives, friends, and colleagues of wanted Hongkongers for investigations.
According to data from HKDC, 38 relatives and friends of 10 overseas Hongkongers have been taken away for interrogation by NSD agents in Hong Kong. HKDC said in a statement that the Hong Kong government’s actions will not stifle Hongkongers’ international democratic movement. In January this year, the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI), known for its polling work—and where wanted and exiled former Hong Kong Polytechnic University associate professor and pollster Chung Kin-wah worked—was raided by the NSD. Chung’s two brothers, his sister, and HKPORI chairperson Robert Chung Ting-yiu were taken away by police for interrogation.‘No Compromise’
Lau
said on X just hours after learning that her extended family in Hong Kong had been interrogated by the national security police that she will not compromise, vowing to “continue fighting for democracy and against Beijing’s transnational repression.”
On the evening of Feb. 10, Lau attended a Lunar New Year event at 10 Downing Street, where she raised concerns about Beijing’s national security law in Hong Kong with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. She was joined by two other Hong Kong activists also listed as wanted by the Hong Kong government—Simon Cheng, founder of the UK-based Hongkongers in Britain group; and Cheung Hei-ching, communications and media assistant at the Hong Kong Liberty Foundation.
Lau later shared on social media that they had brought up the situation of Hong Kong political prisoners, including Jimmy Lai, as well as Beijing’s plan to build a “super embassy” in central London.
According to Lau, Starmer acknowledged their concerns.
Earlier on Jan. 15, Lau also met with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Indo-Pacific Affairs Catherine West. Three other pro-democracy figures listed as wanted by the Hong Kong government were also present at that meeting, including Chung Kin-wah.
