Hong Kong activist Nathan Law says he was denied entry to Singapore

Pro-democracy run says helium held a valid visa and was fixed nary crushed for the refusal.

A pro-democracy activistic who fled China’s crackdown connected Hong Kong has said helium was denied introduction to Singapore aft arriving successful the Southeast Asian city-state with a valid visa.

Nathan Law, a erstwhile lawmaker who near Hong Kong successful 2020, said helium was detained and aboriginal deported to the United States aft landing successful Singapore connected Saturday to be a “closed-door, invitation-only event”.

Recommended Stories

• list 1 of 4China and North Korea hold to defy ‘hegemony’, Foreign Ministry says
• list 2 of 4Gaza and Palestine were ascendant themes astatine UN. Will it marque a difference?
• list 3 of 4‘Cruel joke’: How Indian H-1B dreams are crash-landing aft Trump interest hike
• list 4 of 4The Take: ‘Alligator Alcatraz’: wherever are the missing detainees?

Law, who is wanted by Hong Kong authorities nether the territory’s nationalist information law, said helium was detained astatine the borderline for 4 hours earlier being informed helium had been denied entry.

Law, who lives successful exile successful the United Kingdom, said helium was fixed nary crushed for the refusal and was deported to San Francisco aft spending astir 14 hours successful Singapore.

“I was granted a visa, truthful I was legitimately expecting an entry. I deliberation the determination to contradict introduction was political, though I americium unsure whether outer forces, specified arsenic the PRC, are involved, straight oregon indirectly,” Law told Al Jazeera, referring to the acronym of China’s authoritative name, the People’s Republic of China.

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration & Checkpoints Authority did not instantly respond to requests for comment.

The Financial Times archetypal reported the quality of Law being denied entry.

Law, a cofounder of the governmental enactment Demosisto, was among the astir salient pro-democracy campaigners successful Hong Kong until a sweeping nationalist information instrumentality introduced successful 2020 efficaciously wiped retired governmental absorption successful the erstwhile British colony.

Since leaving Hong Kong, Law has continued to beryllium a vocal advocator of governmental rights successful the metropolis and a professional of Beijing.

Hong Kong authorities issued a warrant for the apprehension of Law and 7 different activists successful 2023, citing provisions successful the nationalist information instrumentality that let for the prosecution of acts carried retired overseas.

Once known for its vibrant civilian nine and governmental diversity, Hong Kong has dramatically curtailed dissent nether the law, which was introduced pursuing wide antigovernment protests that began arsenic peaceful demonstrations earlier descending into convulsive clashes betwixt masked protesters and police.

Since 2020, authorities person eliminated absorption parties successful the city’s legislature, shuttered captious media outlets, and efficaciously outlawed nationalist commemorations of politically delicate events, specified arsenic the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities person defended the crackdown arsenic a proportionate and indispensable effect to the antigovernment protests and different nationalist information threats facing the territory.