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Anna Kwok, a 26-year-old Washington-based activist, fearfully hopes for political asylum in the U.S. after being wanted for arrest by the Hong Kong police force. Kwok is the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) and is one of many overseas activists “speaking out on human rights violations in Hong Kong” that occurred after China’s imposition of the national security law.
Hong Kong police put more pressure for Kwok’s arrest last week by offering a reward for her arrest and seven others. The financial compensation stands at $1 million HK, or around $128,000 USD. Kwok insisted that she would continue lobbying U.S. political officials on Hong Kong issues despite the fear over her autonomy and safety.
Kwok applied for political asylum in the U.S. one year ago; however, no clear steps have been made. She has stated that returning home would be impossible because it would lead to an inevitable arrest. The last time she saw her family was three years ago. As of now, Kwok is covered by Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status that allows her to temporarily stay in the U.S. safely.
“There’s a piece of anxiety that you don’t know what may happen and the slim chance that they reject my application,” Kwok stated. She continued by saying, “With on-the-ground movements in Hong Kong disappearing or silenced, it’s really up to us to narrate the story of Hong Kong.”
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