Anti-extradition Ads Appear In Foreign Papers

An open letter calling on G20 leaders to act over Hong Kong’s extradition controversy has been published in three overseas newspapers ahead of the leaders' summit on Thursday.

The full-page letter appeared in The Guardian in the UK, the Süddeutsche Zeitung in Germany and the Globe and Mail in Canada.

The action was the result of a crowdfunding campaign initiated by a group of protesters who call themselves “Freedom Hongkonger”. They collected more than HK$6 million in a matter of days to run ads in major newspapers around the world.

The group said the New York Times, as well as Politico in Belgium have also agreed to publish the letter.

In the letter titled "Stand with Hong Kong at G20", the group reiterated demands for the government to completely withdraw the extradition bill, not to prosecute protesters involved in anti-extradition demonstrations, and to appoint an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality against protesters.

The group asked newspaper readers to “ally with us, demanding the preservation of Hong Kong’s freedom and autonomy under the Chinese government”.