London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Ex-student leader reveals he has fled to Canada fearing arrest in Hong Kong

Ex-student leader reveals he has fled to Canada fearing arrest in Hong Kong

Ernie Chow is one of a number of local activists, politicians and outspoken church leaders who recently left the city in the wake of Beijing-imposed security law.

A former student union chief at Hong Kong’s Chinese University who was involved in setting up a now-defunct cross-party platform for political cooperation in the city has revealed he fled to Canada fearing arrest under the national security law.

Ernie Chow Shue-fung was among a number of local activists and politicians - including outspoken church leaders - who recently left the city in the wake of the Beijing-imposed security law.

The 25-year-old said he moved to Canada on March 25, 10 days after getting married. Announcing his departure on Facebook, Chow said the arrests of 55 opposition politicians and activists over an unofficial primary election last July to choose candidates for now-postponed Legislative Council polls had “alarmed him greatly”.

“If I was one of the defendants, how would I respond? Can I uphold my dignity, to continue with my beliefs and not to surrender or beg?” he wrote. “I really don’t know, I’m not confident enough … so cowardly, I’d rather choose to go, and would never want to face such a challenge.”

Ernie Chow left the city In March.


Chow was secretary of the Hong Kong Citizens’ Deliberative Platform, which had been in the works since June 2020 but was formally disbanded last December amid legal threats before it began operating. Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui Ying-wai accused the group of being “a blatant challenge to the bottom line of the central government”, and threatened to take legal action against it in an interview with the pro-Beijing Ta Kung Pao newspaper.

The group, endorsed by 17 opposition-led district councils, had said it aimed at promoting cross-district cooperation on political and livelihood issues last June, while council representatives also unanimously voiced their opposition to the introduction of the national security law, which went into force on June 30.

No arrests have been made, but Chow said “middlemen” had approached him, urging him to act as a whistle-blower against the disbanded platform.

“Of course, I did not attend the meeting, and it doesn’t matter who this person was. The more important thing is, if I am the next one [to be arrested], do I want to [be in jail] or should I just leave Hong Kong?” he said.

Chow also admitted he had taken part in the storming of the Legco building in July 2019 during anti-government protests in the city. He said he had fled to Japan for two weeks fearing arrest, but had returned to the city afterwards.

He was also involved in organising protests during the unrest. He paired up with activist Ventus Lau Wing-hong to organise a rally in Central in October 2019.

On Wednesday, outspoken church leader Reverend Lo Hing-choi, who was known for his public criticism of the national security law and the ill-fated extradition bill that triggered the 2019 protests, confirmed to the Post that he has resigned from his post and moved to Britain.

Pastors Wong Siu-yung and Yeung Kin-keung, who signed a joint “Gospel Declaration” calling on followers to point out wrongdoing by the authorities and to resist any totalitarian regime, also fled the city earlier.

Former Hong Kong lawmaker Dennis Kwok also confirmed earlier this month to Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail that he had moved to Canada, where he was born, with his family and planned to regain citizenship there.

Hong Kong police later said they were investigating whether Kwok had committed misconduct in public office when he presided over 19 meetings of Legco’s House Committee from the start of the legislative session in October 2019 to May last year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×