Hong Kong’s National Security Police have just delivered a powerful blow, launching a full-on crackdown targeting the masterminds and candidates behind the so-called “Hong Kong Parliament.” Nineteen individuals, including key figures like Elmer Yuen Gong-yi and Victor Ho Leung-mou, have been declared fugitives, accused of conspiring to subvert the HKSAR government. All have skipped town, but arrest warrants are in the air. But mind that it's not just these big players in the crosshairs. A senior political insider told me that the scope is vastly wider—over 15,000 people who cast votes as “electors” could be in legal jeopardy too. If the authorities can tie a ballot to your name, you may find police at your door. And that doesn’t just stop at voters—any locals who pitched in money or provided tech help might be next on the list.
Nineteen ringleaders and “candidates” from the so-called ‘Hong Kong Parliament’ are now wanted—and police are eyeing thousands more supporters and voters who threw in their lot.
What Was Behind the “Hong Kong Parliament” Push?
Now, the group headed by Yuen wasn’t exactly secretive. Despite plenty of missteps (and more than a few meme-worthy moments), their objective was crystal clear: set up a government-in-exile, and take down the HKSAR administration. They weren’t shy about it. Some “candidates” were even promising military training and open talk of buying weapons for armed revolt—hardly subtle stuff. No surprise, then, that the National Security Police have only just started a bigger clean-out, aiming to dismantle this entire operation.
Web of Connections: More Than Just Local Trouble
Several newly “elected” members of this Parliament, however, turn out to be cozied up to other anti-Establishment factions abroad. There’s a real pipeline of overseas support being funneled in. Take Keung Ka-wai, the “top vote-getter”—he’s teamed up with exiled protesters in Taiwan to launch their own “Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union.” They even had their own press conference propagating Hong Kong independence, which earned Keung a swift ejection from Taiwan as a security risk. Meanwhile, back in Hong Kong, police have nabbed several members of that organization —some shockingly young, just 15—showing just how far their ambitions run.
Elmer Yuen and Victor Ho once bragged voting was “absolutely confidential.” That guarantee didn’t last, leaving voters now “shaking with fear and losing sleep.”
Anyone Who Participated Could Be at Risk
Let’s talk about the law. When I pressed a veteran source about whether all 15,702 “voters” also broke the law, the answer was an unambiguous yes. Simply participating in these ballots can be construed as subversion under the National Security Law—Articles 22 and 23 have that covered. So for anyone who voted, there’s genuine cause for worry. Originally, Yuen and Ho made grand promises that a million people, both locals and overseas Hongkongers, would join in. But many were already wary—it was clear from the start that voting carried serious risks, and most people didn’t buy assurances of confidentiality. Some 15,000 did go through with it, but stories of sloppy ballot handling quickly eroded trust, leaving many voters anxious about leaks. For those still in Hong Kong, this has turned into a real nightmare.
And it won’t end with voters: authorities are expected to hunt down any support staff—donors, techies, or PR boosters—relentlessly severing underground networks to prevent Hong Kong from being used as a remote-controlled base for disruption.
To sum up, police defines the “Hong Kong Parliament” as a subversive group. The warrants for the 19 fugitives are just the opening act, aimed not just at showing muscle, but at wiping out local support networks and sending a clear message to would-be backers and “voters” alike. If any of those 15,000 voters end up being prosecuted, it’s going to be a cautionary tale for anyone still thinking about flirting with such risky activism.
Lai Ting-yiu
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Brazil's presidential election took a dramatic turn. Leftist leader Lula (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) staged a last-minute comeback and edged out Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of the man known as Brazil's Trump. Brazil's Supreme Federal Court promptly ordered an investigation into the loser's illegal acceptance of American money. Sensing trouble, Flávio bolted for Florida in the United States, and more evidence of his crimes is expected to surface.
Bolsonaro Jr. fled to US over allegation of illegal US funding associated with Vice President Vance.
A Money Trail Emerges
The money trail, according to preliminary information, runs through at least one cash pipeline: the Rockbridge Network, a conservative organization secretly bankrolling his campaign. One of its founders is none other than US Vice President Vance. In other words, the water flows from the top of the White House, and Trump is believed to be the one giving the orders. And there is more than one pipeline.
The White House reaching for dirty tricks should surprise no one. Trump has long wanted Lula gone and Bolsonaro, his pro-American ally, installed in power. Back in July, reports had already surfaced that he sent colour-revolution operatives into Brazil to secretly meddle in the election. Lula struck first and shut the operation down.
The Escape Unfolds
Brazilian law makes it illegal for a presidential candidate to take foreign political donations for campaign use. So once the election results came out, Supreme Court ordered Flávio Bolsonaro to surrender his passport, and the Federal Police to open an investigation. The probe zeroed in on the US funding received by Flávio.
The deadline came and went with no passport handed over, and Flávio used that window to flee to Venezuela before moving on to the United States.
US media report that Trump personally approved his entry and told the State Department to issue a visa right away.
The episode makes one thing clear: Trump has been his big backer all along. The signs point to Trump flexing his muscle time and again to prop up the younger Bolsonaro and push him toward power, while undercutting Lula's election prospects.
Now the revelation that he took money from an organization tied to Vance confirms that Trump did indeed meddle in Brazil's election through his confidants. Some of those dirty tricks had already been exposed back in July.
Why Trump Wanted Lula Out
Lula's bid for another term has Trump fuming. The first reason: Lula has long been no friend of the United States. He is determined to shake off American influence and turn toward China, bucking the pro-US governments across South America. Trump hates him to the bone and wants this thorn in his side pulled out.
The second reason is just as personal. Lula's opponent is the son of Trump's "good bro" Bolsonaro. If the son is lifted into the presidency, he would submit to Washington heart and soul.
So Trump moved early. He had already told his lieutenants to "get to work" and find ways to tilt this election.
Trump's dirty tricks fail; Lula stands firm.
Lula Shuts the Door
American meddling in South American elections has been "routine fare" for years, and some US officials have become "seasoned hands" at the craft. More than three months ago, US media broke the story: two senior State Department officials had traveled to Brazil. They were Barnes, the Assistant Secretary of State overseeing the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and Samson, a former assistant secretary. On paper it was a routine visit. In reality, it was a covert operation.
Behind closed doors, the pair met with opposition figures who questioned Brazil's current electronic voting system. The agenda: how to manufacture a "rigged election" narrative, cast doubt on Lula's vote count, and then whip up public protests to block him from taking office.
Both officials are veterans of "colour revolutions". Their mission was to "collaborate" with the camp of Jair Bolsonaro's son, smear the electoral system, and wait for the moment to stage a grand "comeback" spectacle.
Lula, true to his reputation as a political master, hit back at once. He ordered that the two men be denied entry and exit visas, shutting them out at the door.
Tariff Stick Backfires
Trump had another ruthless trick up his sleeve: a 25% tariff aimed squarely at Brazilian goods bound for the US. He was clearly swinging the tariff stick as punishment, hitting Brazil's economy hard enough to send voters a message -- Pick Lula, and the good days are over.
But the harsh move backfired. Brazil changed tactics on the spot, aggressively building alternative markets and shipping more of its goods to China.
The numbers tell the story. Brazil's trade with China has climbed sharply in recent years, and 37% of its exports now head to China. Trade with the US, meanwhile, has sunk to a historic low.
Lula's Survival Playbook
Trump threw everything at the fight, but he still could not move the old-left Lula. That failure left him seething.
The sting ran deeper because his recent meddling in neighboring countries' elections had kept paying off, installing pro-American regimes from Honduras to Costa Rica and Colombia. Pro-American allies were lifted into the presidency one after another, and he was riding high until Brazil tripped him up.
Lula's story carries a blunt lesson: to resist US interference and avoid being swallowed, first be tough enough to withstand the pressure.
Second, bring political cunning: meet dirty tricks with dirty tricks.
In geopolitics' dangerous law of the jungle, that skill set is essential.
Lai Ting-yiu
