A disturbing campaign of harassment using sexually explicit fabricated material has targeted prominent Hong Kong activists living in exile in the United Kingdom and Australia. The incidents mark a significant and alarming escalation in the transnational intimidation faced by critics abroad.
In the UK, several former neighbours of exiled pro-democracy figure Carmen Lau received letters containing digitally altered, pornographic images. These deepfakes superimposed Lau’s face onto explicit photographs, accompanied by text listing her name, purported physical measurements, and a former home address, with an invitation for sexual services. The letters were reportedly posted from Macau.
Simultaneously, in Australia, former legislator Ted Hui and his wife were targeted. A fabricated poster, emailed to Hui’s employer and distributed in Adelaide, falsely advertised his wife as a “Hong Kong lonely housewife” offering paid sexual acts. The poster included an address unconnected to the family.
Lau described the campaign as terrifying, stating it represents a dangerous new frontier in repression that weaponizes technology to specifically threaten women. Hui reported the Australian poster to local authorities, who indicated the associated email originated from an IP address in Hong Kong.
This wave of explicit material follows earlier intimidation tactics. Months prior, neighbours of several exiles, including Lau and activist Tony Chung in the UK, received posters offering substantial bounties for information leading to their capture.
A UK Member of Parliament for the affected constituency condemned the acts as unambiguous transnational repression, urging the government to take stronger action, including sanctions against foreign officials linked to bounty schemes. Police in both countries have opened investigations, classifying the mailings as malicious communications, though prospects for identifying the perpetrators are reportedly low.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London reiterated a previous stance, asserting the legitimacy of pursuing individuals wanted for offences and calling for their surrender. The embassy in Canberra did not respond to queries.
The UK government stated that the security of Hongkongers in Britain is a paramount concern, encouraging all victims to report such incidents to the police. For the targeted activists and their families, the campaign has imposed a heavy psychological toll, forcing changes in behaviour and fostering a pervasive sense of vulnerability far from home.