Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Agnes Chow announced she will not return to the city and intends to remain abroad, defying bail terms requiring her presence. Chow's decision makes her the latest dissident to flee Hong Kong amid Beijing's ongoing crackdown on dissent.
The 27-year-old activist played a leading role in the 2019 anti-government protests before being jailed for 10 months under the national security law imposed by China. Though released on bail in 2021, Chow claims mental health struggles have left her in an "unstable state," no longer willing to meet police check-in rules.
Chow co-founded the now dismantled Demosisto party alongside fellow prominent activists Nathan Law and Joshua Wong. Law escaped to the UK while Wong remains jailed in Hong Kong. Police have offered a $127,600 reward for information on Law's whereabouts.
In her announcement, Chow alleged authorities tried coercing her into patriotic activities in mainland China as a condition to regain her passport. However, she refuses to be "forced" into anything further by the government.
Hong Kong police condemned Chow's decision as a challenge to the rule of law, urging her to reverse course and avoid lifelong "fugitive" status. But Chow appears committed to her exit after already enduring detention. She concluded ominously, “Maybe I won’t return for the rest of my life.”
The national security law has empowered authorities to intensify their crackdown, with over 280 pro-democracy figures arrested since its 2020 enactment. Chow joins a growing list who've chosen self-exile rather than face more charges or possible imprisonment back home as Beijing continues tightening control.