Tony Chung: Student activist flees Hong Kong to seek asylum in UK

Tony Chung, a 22-year-old pro-democracy activist, has fled Hong Kong to seek asylum in the UK, violating a supervision order. He told the BBC that he had been under constant surveillance in Hong Kong, where the police had subjected him to an enormous amount of stress. He also alleged that he was coerced by the police into becoming a paid informant, providing information on fellow activists.

Chung was convicted under a stringent security law for advocating Hong Kong's secession. He completed his sentence in June. However, upon his release, he found himself in a situation that he describes as an even larger and more dangerous prison than the one he had left. He is under a one-year supervision order that required him to apply for permission to travel abroad. The authorities granted him permission to visit Japan on 20 December for a six-day vacation. While there, he was overcome with emotion at the thought of not returning to Hong Kong and decided to seek asylum in the UK.

Chung is among several pro-democracy protesters who have fled Hong Kong in recent years. Following months of mass demonstrations in 2019, Beijing imposed a strict national security law, claiming it was necessary to restore stability to the city. The legislation, which criminalizes many forms of dissent, has been widely used against activists like Chung.