Zhang Xinyan was a member of the 'Hong Kong Parliament' wanted by the Hong Kong police. She was first detained by Thai police.
But on August 3, she was allowed to fly. She left Bangkok for Vancouver, Canada.
Zhang Xinyan, a wanted member of the 'Hong Kong Parliament'.
The Globe and Mail reports Zhang is a Falun Gong practitioner. In China, Falun Gong is banned. It is listed as an illegal organization.
Zhang had been living in Thailand since 2014. In May, Thai police discovered she had overstayed her visa. They detained her in Bangkok.
Zhang was originally scheduled to fly to Vancouver. But at the last moment before boarding, Thai police discovered her and detained her.
The 'Hong Kong Parliament' is an illegal outfit based in Toronto. It recruits worldwide. Zhang, living in Thailand, signed up. She became one of 15 members.
Then the Hong Kong Police National Security Department put a price on their heads. A HK$200,000 bounty was offered for several members, Zhang included. The charge: subverting state power, a crime under the Hong Kong National Security Law.
Reactions: Canada as a 'Gathering Place for Scum'
Zhang was reportedly applying to immigrate to Canada when she was detained.
Canada later confirmed it would take her, the thinking goes. So Thailand sent her on her way.
Canadians are split on taking in these political refugees. Some Hong Kong immigrants in Canada say the more political dissidents Canada accepts, the more it stirs up local resentment toward ethnic minorities.
Some netizens commented: Sending scum to Canada is actually quite good, making Canada a scum haven!
Ariel
** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **
Joshua Wong pleaded guilty to conspiring with fugitive Nathan Law and others to collude with foreign forces. Today (November 5), the High Court handed him a heavy 10-year prison sentence.
Joshua Wong admits collusion, gets 10 years.
The Sentence Lands
Designated National Security Law Judge William Tam Yiu-ho ruled that the case fell into the "serious offence" category.
One name kept surfacing in the judge's sentencing remarks: Nathan Law. The former Demosisto founding chairman is now a fugitive overseas, wanted by the police National Security Department. Tam said Law and Wong were both the "masterminds" or "principal offenders" and its "foremost advocates" in the case.
Judge names Law and Wong as masterminds of the case.
The pair called on foreign countries to impose sanctions and other hostile measures. Even after the Hong Kong National Security Law took effect, they kept committing acts that endangered national security. They deliberately split their roles. Law kept pushing for sanctions and hostile measures from overseas. Wong stayed in Hong Kong, publishing messages and articles to back those acts and fuel the offences.
Officials Weigh In
Chief Executive John Lee also weighed in with a statement. He branded Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and their circle "among the primary culprits responsible for undermining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability."
Lee laid out in his speech that the group first obstructed the SAR government's push to introduce national education, aiming to weaken young people's sense of national identity. They went on to set up radical organizations, incite students to break the law, and promote Hong Kong independence and self-determination. They added fuel to the 2019 Black Riots and a Hong Kong-style color revolution, leaving a litany of misdeeds.
Steve Li, Chief Superintendent of the National Security Department, said the charge and the facts of the case both involve Nathan Law. He called on Law to return to Hong Kong, turn himself in, and face judicial proceedings.
The Fugitive's Flight
The record speaks for itself. Before the Hong Kong National Security Law took effect, Nathan Law slipped out of Hong Kong for London, and he has been on the run overseas ever since.
Nathan Law fled to UK before security law became effective.
In July 2023, the police National Security Department put a HK$1 million bounty on his head. Law was listed as a specified fugitive under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.
Wong, Law met US consular official Julie Eadeh in hotel in August 2019.
A well-placed source says Law could not be bothered when his good friend Joshua Wong was denied political asylum by the US Consulate. He fled to the United Kingdom anyway and applied for political asylum the moment he landed.
Once Law had the aura of political refugee status, the cash followed. He gives interviews to US and Western media from time to time, and he opened an account on an online subscription platform to rake in money, milking political patronage for all it is worth.
Charged, Then Abandoned
Some media outlets had earlier reported that a female comrade close to Joshua Wong had been "taken over" by Nathan Law.
Wong, the so-called "good brother," stayed in Hong Kong to face the legal consequences. He now has another 10 years in prison ahead of him and will not taste freedom again until middle age. Law, the "good comrade," gave a flawless performance of sending others charging in while slipping away himself.
But the facts unearthed in these cases tell a different story. Joshua Wong is no hero ready to die for his political ideals.
The day the US Consulate turned him away at the door said it all. Washington weighed the pros and cons, decided that helping Wong and his crew would do more harm than good, and without a second thought wrote them off as "discarded pawns" with no value left to exploit.
A Warning for Youth
The well-informed source traced the arc. At 15, Joshua Wong founded Scholarism to fight national education. At 30, he faces a long stretch behind bars for crimes including colluding with external forces, subverting state power and unlawful assembly.
His good friend Nathan Law, meanwhile, is still on the run. Wanted and living in exile, he has cut ties with all his relatives.
The stories of the two men are warning enough for young people today. Think carefully, and tell right from wrong. Never fall for the lies of so-called political advocates and wreck your own future.
