Exiled activist Anna Kwok vows to keep fighting after Hong Kong jails her father

Exiled Hong Kong Activist Remains Defiant After Father’s Imprisonment

The imprisonment of a Hong Kong activist’s father has strengthened her resolve to continue advocating for democracy in the Chinese territory, despite growing personal costs to her family.

Anna Kwok, executive director of the Washington-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, expressed renewed determination after a Hong Kong court sentenced her 69-year-old father, Kwok Yin-sang, to eight months in prison on Thursday for attempting to withdraw approximately $11,000 from an insurance policy he had purchased for her when she was a child.

“I think obviously the Hong Kong government wants to use guilt, wants to use a lot of emotions to weigh me down, but I’ve found my way to really find my calling in activism for Hong Kong,” Kwok told The Associated Press in an interview on Friday. “I’m not going to back down. I’m just going to be more strategic with more long-term thinking and be more dedicated to the Hong Kong cause.”

The court found her father guilty of attempting to deal with funds belonging to an “absconder” after he tried to terminate the policy and withdraw the money in 2025. Kwok had gained control of the policy when she turned 18. This marks the first case targeting a family member of a pro-democracy advocate wanted by Hong Kong authorities under the territory’s 2024 national security law.

Kwok described the sentence as “ridiculous” and acknowledged the personal toll of her activism. “I did go through this journey of finding out what activism means to me, now with this added layer of very real personal cost that is not faced by me but faced by my family,” she said.

The case has drawn international attention, with the U.S. government openly criticizing the Hong Kong authorities. Riley Barnes, the assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, called for Kwok Yin-sang’s immediate release, stating, “The targeting of individuals who advocate for basic freedoms in Hong Kong and their families is unacceptable.”

Kwok is among 34 pro-democracy activists for whom Hong Kong police have offered substantial bounties, a practice widely viewed as part of Beijing’s intensifying crackdown on dissent following the massive anti-government protests that rocked the territory in 2019. The police have offered 1 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $127,900) for information leading to her arrest, and the government has prohibited anyone from handling funds on her behalf.

The charges against Kwok include lobbying for foreign sanctions and engaging in “hostile activities” against China and Hong Kong during meetings with foreign politicians and government officials. These broad accusations reflect the sweeping nature of Hong Kong’s national security laws, which have been used to target pro-democracy figures, journalists, and activists since their implementation.

The personal cost of her activism has severed Kwok’s ability to communicate with family and friends in Hong Kong, leading her to conduct the on-camera interview to reassure them. “I wanted to show my family and people who care about me that I cannot really communicate with that I’m doing okay, please don’t worry too much about me,” she explained.

Kwok remains steadfast in refusing to accept blame for her family’s situation. “I have to constantly remind myself that it’s not my fault, but the regime’s fault and the regime’s purpose, to do something like this,” she said.

The case highlights the increasingly harsh measures Hong Kong authorities are willing to take against not only activists but also their families, a tactic that human rights organizations argue is designed to silence dissent both within and outside the territory. As Beijing continues to tighten its grip on Hong Kong, the targeting of family members represents a troubling escalation in its approach to suppressing political opposition.

Despite these pressures, Hong Kong’s diaspora of political exiles continues to advocate for democratic values from abroad, though at increasingly severe personal costs to themselves and those they have left behind.