In August 2023, a troubling message surfaced in a social media group for Hongkongers in the UK, a community already on edge due to rising tensions related to immigration. Riots sparked by false claims about asylum seekers had led to attacks on hotels housing refugees. The message alerted the group to new posts on far-right channels targeting them. Among the targets was Finn Lau, whose addresses and the addresses of other places he had lived were listed. As a chartered surveyor and known activist from the Hong Kong democracy movement, Lau is among those the Chinese regime seeks to suppress. He, along with other activists, has faced bounties on their heads and relentless harassment from the authorities.
Working with the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate, the Guardian uncovered over 150 posts across 29 accounts in August 2024 aiming to draw far-right attention and incite violence towards Lau and other Hong Kong exiles. Cybersecurity experts suggest these posts exhibit similarities to a significant online influence operation linked to a Chinese security agency. While the security minister, Dan Jarvis, acknowledges the severity of any foreign government’s attempts to harm critics, the posts urging attacks were directed at figures like Tommy Robinson. The campaign against Hong Kong activists, including Lau, is part of a broader strategy by China to silence dissent and project its power overseas. It suggests a sinister weapon in the regime’s arsenal, leveraging far-right violence to further its objectives. Despite reporting the posts to the Metropolitan police, Lau and others targeted have yet to see any protective measures taken. The psychologically daunting campaign has made Lau hypervigilant, frequently changing his address and constantly looking over his shoulder.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/28/revealed-online-campaign-urged-far-right-to-attack-chinas-opponents-in-uk
