Source: World Wide Web
According to Hong Kong's "Orange News", after the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law in mid-last year, a number of opposition figures rushed to "grass (referring to escape)." Zhang Kunyang, a Hong Kong rioter wanted by the police, claimed on facebook that he was currently in the United States and was applying for "political asylum", and he also claimed to have been admitted to the master's program at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
Screenshot of Hong Kong media report
In his post, Zhang Claimed that although he has not acted publicly in the past year, he has been attending various forums and closed-door meetings, and has continued to communicate with officials and civil society friends in the United States, Britain, Australia, Japan, South Korea and other countries. Orange News said it was blatantly colluding with foreign powers.
The report mentioned that Zhang Kunyang knew that the court had issued an arrest warrant for him, but still fled a foreign country, and he even claimed that he had begun the process of applying for "political asylum" with the US government.
Zhang Kunyang data map (image source: "Orange News")
Zhang Kunyang also declared that understanding the "international line" has disappointed many people. He pointed out to "brothers and sisters" in foreign countries that "only when some people on the local front insist on not giving up can the international front have a sufficient foundation to develop outward." However, on the one hand, he declared that he would continue to work on the "international line", but on the other hand, he also said that "the international line is not the panacea for everything, and the space for the international line to operate is far more than just advocacy and lobbying", trying to justify his departure from foreign countries.
According to Hong Kong media reports, Zhang Kunyang was the vice president of the Student Union of Hong Kong Baptist University, and after the "amendment storm" in 2019, he went to the United States and other countries as an academic delegation to "lobby". He was accused of participating in an unauthorised assembly at Victoria Garden last year and was absent from the hearing on 15 September last year, posting on the same day confirming that he had left Hong Kong in August, but refusing to disclose where he was. Before the Hong Kong National Security Law came into effect, Zhang Kunyang announced his resignation as spokesman for the "Non-Governmental Diplomatic Organization" and dissolved the organization. In December, Hong Kong media said the police were wanting a group of Hong Kong rioters who had fled overseas, including Zhang Kunyang.
As early as March 15 this year, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Security Bureau said that anyone who violates Hong Kong laws will be held legally responsible by the SAR government. The Hong Kong National Security Law has extraterritorial effect, and those who violate it, regardless of their identity or background, or where they are located, the SAR Government will deal with it in accordance with the law and pursue their legal responsibility.