Former Hong Kong lawmaker says Australian asylum grant shows territory infringed rights

By Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Exiled former Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui hailed on Monday Australia's grant of asylum status as a key acknowledgement of the territory's human rights infringements since its authorities quelled massive pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Hui, who also urged support for businessman Jimmy Lai now being tried on national security charges, received asylum on Friday, more than four years after leaving Hong Kong, which has offered a bounty for him on criminal charges over the protests.

"It is recognition by the Australian government that human rights infringements and erosion of democracy and freedom actually happened and justified granting asylum to people like me ... being persecuted because of the protests," Hui said.

"I believe this is good for Australia to have that recognition and I am grateful for the country, which has given me so much," he told Reuters in an interview.

Australian visa data reviewed by Reuters showed it had approved no asylum claims by citizens of the Asian financial hub since January 2021, and rejected five in 2023.

Hui, who is working as a lawyer in South Australia, said the good news for his family came in a week during which he was concerned over Hong Kong's trial of his friend, the pro-democracy businessman Lai, on national security charges.

"Jimmy Lai is very iconic of Hong Kong's resistance because he actually had the ability to leave Hong Kong but he decided to stay," he said. "That is very noble of him."

Before his arrest, Lai had described himself to Hui as being "like a captain of a ship" in support of democratic values and would "sink with the ship".

Hui added, "He deserves democracy's help in rescuing him when he is in a deep plight and he is not well."

Lai, 77, received medication and a heart monitor for the start of the trial's final submissions, prompted by health concerns aroused by heart palpitations.

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong raised concerns with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in a meeting last month about anonymous letters circulated in South Australia offering rewards for information about Hui and his family.

The Australian Federal Police were investigating the matter, Hui said.

"They call me to check on my safety and that of my family...," he said. "I can say the AFP is putting in a lot of effort."

A police spokesman declined to comment.

After Hui and his family arrived in 2021, 123 Hong Kong citizens have made asylum claims in Australia. Many more have taken up skilled visas under a program launched in 2021 for Hong Kong citizens to stay permanently, data shows.

The home affairs department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement, the government of the former British colony said it was "against the harbouring of criminals in any form by any country".

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)