Hongkongers in Britain Face Transnational Repression: Activists

One of three individuals accused last week of assisting Hong Kong’s intelligence agency—a Chinese jurisdiction where a crackdown has prompted a migration to Britain—was Matthew Trickett.

TFD – Rights activists assert that Hongkongers in Britain are facing transnational repression from the Chinese government, similar to dissidents worldwide. These claims come amidst accusations of espionage and mysterious deaths, raising serious concerns about the safety and freedom of Hong Kong migrants in the UK.

Hong Kong — According to police on Tuesday, a former British marine who was suspected of spying for Hong Kong authorities in Britain passed away under mysterious circumstances.

Following a tip from the public, police discovered 37-year-old Matthew Trickett near Grenfell Park in Maidenhead, a town west of London, late on Sunday afternoon. At the scene, he was declared deceased.

Thames Valley police released a statement stating, “A medical examination will be conducted in due course.” The statement also stated that an investigation is ongoing into the death, which is currently being treated as unexplained.

Trickett was one of three individuals accused last week of aiding a foreign intelligence agency and engaging in foreign interference under the British National Security Act. “The foreign intelligence service to which the above charges relate is that of Hong Kong,” the London Metropolitan Police state.

Trickett was scheduled to appear in court this Friday, but had been released on bail since their initial court appearance on May 13. Trickett, Chung Biu Yuen, 63, and Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, are the three men who have not yet entered pleas.

In the midst of escalating hostilities between the two nations over suspected Chinese spying, Chinese authorities have denounced the charges, calling them the most recent in a string of “groundless and slanderous accusations” made by London against Beijing.

The Hong Kong government insisted that Yuen, the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, be given full details of the accusations and that his rights be upheld.

Paul Chan, the financial secretary for Hong Kong, avoided commenting on Trickett’s passing when he spoke with media on Wednesday. The Chinese Embassy in London made reference to previous declarations.

Trickett was a former Royal Marine and British immigration enforcement officer, hailing from the Maidenhead region. It has also been stated that he directed a security consulting firm.

Trickett’s family said they were “mourning the loss of a much-loved son, brother, and family member” in a statement provided to Reuters. In the same statement, Trickett’s attorney, Julian Hayes, expressed shock at his client’s passing but refrained from commenting further due to the continuing inquiry.

The three individuals are accused by the prosecution of conducting information collecting, monitoring, and deceptive activities from late last year to May 2 that were likely to significantly aid the intelligence service in Hong Kong, a former British colony that was returned to Chinese authority in 1997. One of the allegations is that on May 1, they broke into a residential location in Britain.

Following the announcement of the eavesdropping allegations last week, Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang was called by the British Foreign Office. The statement stated that Zheng had been informed that the recent actions by China against the United Kingdom, such as cyberattacks and the issuance of rewards to Hong Kong democracy campaigners residing in the United Kingdom, were deemed unacceptable.

Waves of people have left Hong Kong since 2020, when Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the Chinese territory in response to months of sometimes-violent anti-government protests in 2019. Critics claim the law has made it possible to crack down on dissent, but Chinese officials argue the reform was needed to bring stability back.

According to a February report by the South China Morning Post, some 185,000 individuals have obtained special visas following the implementation of the national security law, allowing them to travel from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom since January 2021.

Rights activists claim that Hongkongers residing in Britain are subject to “transnational repression” by the Chinese government and its allies, just like Chinese dissidents in other parts of the world. Beijing refutes the accusations.