HK activist Nathan Law denied entry into Singapore, MHA says his presence 'not in national interests'

Hong Kong activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung was denied entry into Singapore because "his presence in the country would not be in national interests", the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

Law, who is wanted by Hong Kong authorities for national security offences, arrived from San Francisco on Saturday (Sept 27), the ministry said.

"He was referred for questioning, and immigration and security assessment. Law was then refused entry. He was placed on the earliest flight back to San Francisco on Sept 28."

MHA added that visa holders are still subject to further checks at point of entry into country. 

"This is what happened with Nathan Law." 

Associated Press news agency quoted Law as saying in a statement that he was coming to Singapore for a closed-door, invitation-only event, and that he had obtained a single-journey, short-term visa to enter the country.

The statement did not elaborate what the event is about.

"I think the decision to deny my entry was political, although I am unsure whether external forces, such as the PRC (People's Republic of China), are involved, directly or indirectly," Law's statement read.

He separately told the BBC that he holds a United Kingdom Refugee Travel Document. 

According to the UK government, a refugee is someone who is unable to return to their country due to their race, religion, nationality and their political opinion, among other things. 

It also states that the person "must have failed to get protection from authorities in (their) own country". 

Law, a one-time student leader and local legislator for Hong Kong Island, spent time in prison after the 2014 Umbrella Protests.

Writing for British magazine The Spectator in 2021, Law said that he left Hong Kong in 2020 and was granted asylum in Britain in April 2021. 

His self-exile happened days before Hong Kong passed the National Security Law which came into effect in March last year. 

In 2023, Hong Kong police issued a warrant for his arrest for offences under the national security law, with a bounty of HK$1 million (S$166,000) for information leading to the arrest of Law and other self-exiled activists for National Security Law violations.

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editor@asiaone.com