Exiled Tuen Mun councilor Mo Kwan-tai seeks UK political asylum

Exiled former Tuen Mun district councillor Michael Mo Kwan-tai, is seking asylum in the UK, a report from London said.

Early last week, Mo nervously set off with just two suitcases to Hong Kong’s airport, The Daily Telegraph's Asia Correspondent Nicola Smith reports. 

Fearing imminent arrest for his pro-democracy political views under the national security law,  the 35-year-old local politician had taken a snap decision to leave home forever and flee to London.

He had altered his hairstyle and removed his glasses to disguise his regular appearance, but he was still on alert for plainclothes police officers right up until his flight took off.

When he landed in Heathrow, Mo claimed political asylum.

The catalyst was a loyalty pledge deadline later this month that aims to weed out office holders with “unpatriotic” views. Those judged not loyal enough to the government could be ousted and forced to repay months of salary.

Whether he took it or not, he was worried that, as with so many other people in the city’s fast-disappearing opposition movement, his past protest activities or his political beliefs would be used against him - and could land him in jail. 

More than 200 pro-democracy councillors elected following the 2019 protests have resigned ahead of an expected purge.

“The most frightening fact is that they can get you in national security law-related investigations at all times,” he told The Telegraph from the London hotel where he is currently self-isolating.

“They might go after me at any point ... for something I did in the past long before the law. They could just make an excuse to arrest me and bar me from leaving.”