Pastor Says It Isn't Safe For Him To Return To HK

A pastor from a church which says its bank account has been frozen by HSBC has announced that he and his family are in the UK and don't think it's safe to return to Hong Kong.

Roy Chan, of the Good Neighbourhood North District Church, said in a video posted on Facebook that he and four relatives originally travelled to Britain for a holiday and to explore the possibility of opening a branch of the church there.

But the pastor said he now fears it would impossible for them to return to Hong Kong due to safety concerns.

A volunteer group formed by the church, "Safeguard Our Generation", had often acted as a buffer between the police and protesters at anti-government demonstrations, and the church said the bank move was an act of political retaliation.

In the video, Chan accused the authorities of forcing peaceful dissidents like him into difficult situations, and HSBC of aiding the government in suppressing dissent.

"Now we are forced to the point that returning to the home we love and cherish - Hong Kong - seems impossible," he said.

Chan said the freezing of the church's bank account had affected their volunteer services, and made them unable to pay the rent for their hostels for the homeless, as well as the salaries of their own social workers.

The church said accounts belonging to Chan and his wife had also been frozen, and the pastor said the family are now living with no money and are trying to figure out how to make a living in a foreign country.

Last week, former Democratic Party lawmaker Ted Hui announced that he and his family were going into exile in the UK. At the weekend, he said their bank accounts had also been frozen.