Overseas Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law denied entry to Singapore
BEIJING — An activist wanted by the Hong Kong government said he was denied entry to Singapore over the weekend for what he presumes were political reasons.
Nathan Law, who fled Hong Kong in 2020 and is based in London, said he was detained at the Singapore airport on Saturday night and told four hours later that his entry had been denied.
He was going to attend a closed-door, invitation-only event, he said in a statement, without elaborating.
Law is one of a number of Hong Kong activists who have left the city in recent years after the adoption of a National Security Law that has put others in prison.
He said he had received a visa from Singapore to attend the event and departed on a flight from San Francisco. No reason was given for the denial, he said. He boarded a plane back to San Francisco on Sunday after about 14 hours in Singapore.
“I think the decision to deny my entry was political, although I am unsure whether external forces, such as the PRC, are involved, directly or indirectly,” his statement said, referring to China by the acronym for its official name, the People’s Republic of China.
Law declined further comment.
A Singapore government statement confirmed that he had been refused entry, saying a visa holder is subject to further checks at the border. It noted that Hong Kong police have issued a warrant for Law’s arrest under the city’s National Security Law.
“Law’s entry into and presence in the country would not be in Singapore’s national interests,” the statement from the Home Affairs Ministry said.
Singapore has an extradition agreement with Hong Kong but it doesn’t appear to cover national security crimes.
Hong Kong police issued warrants for Law and other self-exiled activists in 2023 and offered rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,600) for information leading to their arrest.
Law is accused of colluding with foreign parties and inciting secession for allegedly calling for sanctions and Hong Kong’s separation from China in meetings with foreign officials and in open letters, petitions, social media posts and media interviews.
Hong Kong is a Chinese territory with its own laws and regulations, but the central government in Beijing cracked down in 2020 after massive anti-government the previous year, imposing a National Security Law on the city of 7.5 million people.
Law rose to prominence as a student leader of the pro-democracy Umbrella Revolution in 2014 along with Joshua Wong, who is imprisoned in Hong Kong.
Law was elected to the legislature in 2016 but disqualified after he raised his tone while swearing allegiance to China during the oath of office, making it sound like a question.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze following 12th loss in his last 15 SEC games
The 56-year-old Freeze failed to fix Auburn’s offensive issues in three years on the Plains, scoring 24 or fewer points in 17 of his 22 league games. He also ended up on the wrong end of too many close matchups, including twice this season thanks partly to questionable calls.
In a ‘disheartening’ era, the nation’s former top mining regulator speaks out
Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.
