Ted Hui Announces Self-exile, Pledges To Fight On

Former Democratic Party legislator Ted Hui announced on Thursday that he will go into exile, and won't be returning to Hong Kong, although he will not apply for asylum in any country.

Hui had left Hong Kong for Denmark on Monday, and media reports say his family members have subsequently also left the SAR.

“I hereby announce that I will go into exile and will withdraw my membership of Democratic Party of Hong Kong to leave Hong-Kong [sic]. There is no word to explain my pain and it’s hard to hold back tears,” Hui said in a statement.

Hui said he will be heading for the UK in the “near future”, but he left his future plans vague, saying he would not be applying for asylum anywhere.

“My personal determination is that my exile will not be a migration. My only home is Hong Kong,” he explained, adding that he would only return when the "bells of freedom" are ringing here.

Hui noted that while he was in Denmark, prominent pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam were handed prison terms over protest-related charges, while pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai is also facing trial.

Hui himself is facing a number of protest-related prosecutions.

“Since leaving Hong Kong I heard the news of more and more of my friends and freedom fighters being thrown to jail. Since the national security law we have fallen into the darkness of the CCP tyranny and it breaks my heart to hear the fate of many of my friends,” he said.

The former lawmaker said he will continue to fight abroad, and join fellow exiled activist Nathan Law in the UK to widen the “international battle front.”

The Democratic Party said it "respects" Hui's decision and accepts his withdrawal from the party. In a statement, a spokesman said it only found out about his intentions to leave Hong Kong for good when he made the public announcement.

It thanked him for his contributions over the years, and wished him and his family peace and security.

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