Hong Kong’s security chief has condemned an “unfounded and fact-twisting” article published by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on the weekend, in which the city’s youngest fugitive wanted for national security offences shared how she became a pro-democracy activist.
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In a letter to the BBC’s editor on Sunday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung accused the BBC of “depriving readers of their right to the truth” by not including their response in the interview with Chloe Cheung Hei-ching, who is wanted for alleged national security offences.
“We are also extremely appalled that you have chosen not to include the response of the [Hong Kong] Government in the article despite your inquiry on this topic, thus depriving your readers of their right to the truth. It is disappointing that the BBC would allow publication of such a biased article,” Tang said.
Cheung, who turns 20 this year, left the city in August 2020 and is now based in the United Kingdom. She was placed on the wanted list last December with a HK$1 million (US$128,500) bounty on suspicion of incitement to secession and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security.
Cheung is accused of advocating separating Hong Kong from China and requesting foreign countries to impose sanctions or blockades in her capacity as a core member of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation.
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She is the youngest among 19 fugitives accused of breaching the national security law and placed on the wanted list by the city’s government.
Cheung was interviewed by the BBC in an article titled “The A-level student who became an enemy of the Chinese state” published on Sunday.