Academic in Australia, among 19 targeted by HK govt, slams arrest warrants

An academic in Australia who was among 19 people whom Hong Kong issued bounties for has criticised the "ridiculous" arrest warrants and warned that the region was trying to exert its power beyond its borders.

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SYDNEY -

The authorities from the Chinese city announced cash rewards on July 25 for information leading to the arrest of 19 overseas activists involved in "Hong Kong Parliament" - a pro-democracy group established in Canada.

The bounties range from about US$25,000 to US$125,000 (S$32,000 to S$160,000).

Among those named was Professor Feng Chongyi, a China studies professor at the University of Technology Sydney. "It's certainly ridiculous," he told The Sydney Morning Herald in an interview published on July 26. "They've got the power, they've got the influence overseas, they want to control everything even overseas."