‘Deliberate and serious action’: UK court jails two British-Chinese nationals for spying on Hong Kong dissidents
A British court on Thursday jailed two dual Chinese and British nationals for spying on British Hong Kong dissidents, calling their actions “deliberate, consistent and serious”.“Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grub sentenced former British border officer Peter Wai, 40, to 10 years in prison, and retired Hong Kong police officer Bill Yuen, 65, to eight years for so-called “shadow policing” on British soil on behalf of China.Sentencing Yuan and Wei at London’s Old Bailey court, the judge said they had caused “real and substantial” harm and left their victims in “fear and distress”.The pair were found guilty in May of assisting foreign intelligence services under a national security law after a two-month trial.The court also found Wei guilty of official misconduct. According to prosecutors, he searched British Home Office computer systems for individuals of interest to Hong Kong authorities.He served in the British Police and Royal Navy before working for the UK Border Force Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.The jury heard that Wai gathered the intelligence under instructions from Yuen, a senior manager at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO), which represents the Hong Kong government in London.Since Hong Kong’s national security law was enacted in mid-2020, tens of thousands of people, including pro-democracy activists wanted by Chinese authorities, have emigrated to the UK.CaseAs well as the usual targets, the pair also had a “special focus” on politicians, including senior Tory figure Iain Duncan Smith.Yuan Hewei conducted information gathering, surveillance and deception, one of which involved photos of prominent activist Luo Guancong.Their activities coincided with Hong Kong authorities announcing a reward of around 100,000 pounds ($132,000) for information leading to several British activists, including Law.A sweeping national security law for Hong Kong that severely limits freedoms in the former British colony has led to years of tension, further soured by mutual accusations of espionage between London and Beijing.Britain’s Labor government has tried to reset relations but has faced domestic opposition, particularly after approving plans for a large new Chinese embassy in London.(Using AFP input)
