China arrests family of dissident who protested against regime’s ‘mega-embassy’ in London

Chinese authorities arrested relatives of a erstwhile Hong Kong person who protested against the Communist regime’s caller “mega-embassy” successful London.

Carmen Lau, 30, fled her autochthonal Hong Kong 5 years agone and joined 3,000 others astatine a rally successful February against plans to physique the 5.5-acre analyzable adjacent Tower Bridge.

In a code astatine the event, the activistic said allowing China to physique the ample diplomatic ngo sends the “wrong message” that Britain welcomes authoritarian regimes.

However, wrong 48 hours of her remarks, Chinese nationalist information constabulary arrested her aged aunt and uncle successful Hong Kong. They were detained successful greeting raids connected their homes and questioned for six hours earlier being released.

Ms Lau said her relatives were questioned astir the links she inactive has to the erstwhile British colony. “They wanted to cognize astir fiscal relationships I had with others successful Hong Kong and were funny successful my household histrion - the different relatives I person successful Hong Kong,” she told The Mail connected Sunday.

Harassment

Ms Lau past believes constabulary utilized the accusation they got to apprehension different aunt a week aboriginal and questioned her for respective hours arsenic well. The activistic claims the harassment is the Chinese regime’s method of getting her to halt her “anti-Chinese” activities successful the UK.

Ms Lau was Deputy Secretary-General of the Civic Party, Hong Kong’s second-largest pro-democracy party, which was forcibly dissolved. She was besides a territory councillor.

She resigned her councillor relation successful 2021, fled the erstwhile British colony and sought refuge successful the UK aft the Chinese authorities enactment her nether surveillance. She claimed she had undercover constabulary officers parked extracurricular her flat and was being followed. She said she was besides being harassed by information unit and the authorities media.

Hong Kong authorities placed her and 5 overseas activists connected a wanted database successful December.

In February, the campaigner’s neighbours successful Berkshire received a bounty enactment offering much than £100,000 for accusation astir Ms Lau oregon anyone who could lure her to the existent Chinese embassy successful Marylebone successful cardinal London. The enactment besides accused her of inciting protests and colluding with a overseas powerfulness against Beijing.

If approved, the caller mega-embassy would beryllium 10 times bigger than the existent Chinese embassy and the country’s largest diplomatic ngo successful Europe.

The tract astatine the erstwhile Royal Mint Court successful eastbound London would see offices, 225 homes and a “cultural exchange” building.

China bought the tract for much than £255 cardinal successful 2018, but Tower Hamlets Borough Council rejected plans for the embassy successful 2022.

They did not entreaty against the determination amid speculation that the Conservative authorities astatine the clip would person backed the council’s decision. However, they resubmitted mostly unchanged plans conscionable weeks aft Labour won past year’s wide election.

Underground rooms

However, Ms Lau raised concerns astir underground rooms which the caller embassy volition contain. Their nonstop intent was redacted connected the plans for “security reasons”.

Ms Lau added: “These rooms could beryllium utilized for interrogations and locking up radical similar us. They could beryllium utilized to torture us.”

During the February protests, chants of “Fight for freedom, basal with Hong Kong” and “Mega embassy, mega no” reverberated done the crowds. Protesters came from arsenic acold arsenic Scotland, Liverpool, Reading, and Manchester.

Ms Lau said she believes the mega-embassy would go a hub for “transnational repression” by China successful cardinal London.

She besides said the Metropolitan Police had advised her not to be nationalist gatherings arsenic she could beryllium attacked and her relatives backmost location could beryllium enactment successful danger.