US condemns Hong Kong bounties, passport revocations for democrats

The U.S. State Department said that Hong Kong's offered bounties for six more pro-democracy campaigners who were deemed to have violated national security laws and the revoking of the passports of seven more amounted to intimidation efforts. 

"We reject the Hong Kong government's efforts to intimidate and silence individuals who choose to make the United States their home," the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Thursday, adding some of the targeted individuals were based in the United States. 

There was no immediate response from China's foreign ministry to Reuters' request for comment on the State Department's condemnations. 

China-imposed national security legislation in Hong Kong has triggered U.S. sanctions and has been used to jail pro-democracy activists after violent street protests in 2019. 

China's office for safeguarding national security in Hong Kong said on Tuesday it supported the actions, as the individuals had engaged in "anti-China" and destabilizing acts. 

(Reuters)