U.K. activates emergency hospitals

Ex-lawmaker fears further crackdowns

Hong Kong is entering a “long, dark age” with further crackdowns coming, according to a pro-democracy activist now living in political exile in the U.K.

Ted Hui, a former lawmaker in the city's parliament, warned the territory's political plight is far from over.

“More dissidents in exile, more court cases are coming,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“The judicial system is being attacked and it has been suggested there will be judicial reform.

“Hong Kong has lost the streets, ( and) we lost the legislature.”

Hui, a member of the Democratic Party, won a seat in 2016. But along with all of Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers, he resigned in November in protest after the government disqualified four of their colleagues.

Since Hong Kong's national security law was enacted by Beijing last summer, dozens of pro-democracy politicians and political figures have been charged or imprisoned.

The arrests have had a chilling effect on Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. Protests have waned as people became fearful of criticizing the Hong Kong government or Beijing.

“People are banned totally from speaking, so I feel a greater responsibility to do that for Hong Kong people,” Hui said.

“If I can't do what I was doing, that is to speak for Hong Kong in the legislature, on the streets, with the civil society, if all those routes are shut there might be a need for me to be doing it outside.”

Hui has long been one of the movement's most outspoken figures. Last May, he hurled a rotten plant across the parliament chamber in protest at a bill that would criminalize criticism of China's national anthem. He “regrets not throwing enough of them”, despite later being arrested for disturbing legislature proceedings.

His passport was surrendered to the authorities while he was bailed on nine charges, including criminal damage and perverting the course of justice.

He needed special permission to travel — which was granted when he was invite to speak in Denmark for a climate change programme last month.

Hui said that it was not until he was on the plane to Copenhagen that he began to consider exile.

“For the facts, it was never my plan to seek asylum. I was struggling really,” he said.

He announced his selfexile via a Facebook post on Dec. 3 and is now living in Britain.