Hong Kong

One of the most prominent pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, Agnes Chow, who was jailed over her role in massive 2019 protests, on Sunday (Dec 3) revealed that she has left Hong Kong for Canada and would probably not return to meet her bail conditions. 

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The 27-year-old finally broke her silence two-and-a-half years after she was released after spending seven months in jail over a protest outside Hong Kong police headquarters in 2019. 

What happened to Chow?

Chow, on her 27th birthday, took to Instagram and published two posts saying that she had left Hong Kong for Toronto in mid-September for university studies and would not return to report to the police as her bail conditions demanded, in December or possibly ever. 

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In her first public comments since her release from prison in June 2021, she also detailed how she had remained under “supervision” from the authorities, the pressure of which led to her developing depression, anxiety, and PTSD. 

Chow said that she managed to get her passport back after agreeing to take part in a propaganda tour in mainland China. She was released on police bail on conditions, including surrendering her passport and reporting regularly to the police. 

In July, Hong Kong police offered to return her passport on the condition that Chow would travel with them to the Chinese city of Shenzhen. 

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In August, the 27-year-old accompanied by five police officers was shown an exhibition of China’s achievements and the headquarters of tech giant Tencent – where she was requested to pose for photos, which Chow speculated would be held as proof of her “patriotism” to China.

While she was not questioned by Chinese authorities or met any Communist party officials, Chow said that she felt like “I was under surveillance all the time”. 

Upon her return to Hong Kong, she was asked to write a letter of thanks to the police for arranging the trip to “understand the great development of my motherland”.

She was allowed to leave after the national security authorities demanded she submit information about the course, timetable, accommodation and other records in Canada. Chow was also required to return to Hong Kong during college holidays. 

It was only in recent weeks that Chow had decided not to return to Hong Kong citing fears that if she went back there would be more conditions placed on her, or would be prevented from leaving again.

“I don’t want to be forced to do anything any more, and I don’t want to be forced to go to mainland China any more,” said the 27-year-old. 

“After…considering the situation in Hong Kong, my own safety, my physical and mental health, I decided not to go back, and will probably never go back for the rest of my life,” Chow wrote. 

Hong Kong police ‘responds’

In a seeming response to Chow’s post, the Hong Kong police released a statement on Monday (Dec 4), condemning these “irresponsible behaviours that blatantly challenge law and order.” 

It added, “The police appeal to the person involved to step back from the cliff and not choose to take a path of no return and bear the name of ‘fugitive’ for the rest of her life.”

Chow was once one of the most prominent young faces of the 2012, 2014 and 2019 protests against China’s increasingly authoritarian rule in Hong Kong and a core member of the now-disbanded group of younger activists Demosisto, which helped drive the movement. 

Demosisto dissolved hours after Beijing passed a sweeping national security law in 2020. The law has led to more than 280 arrests. Chow was sentenced to 10 months in jail in Nov 2020 over an unauthorised assembly and faced an alleged national security charge. 

(With inputs from agencies)