World News Live: UK grants asylum to Hong Kong democracy activist Tony Chung
Hong Kong democracy activist Tony Chung, who once called for the city’s independence and was the youngest person to be jailed under its national security law, has been granted asylum in the UK.
Chung, 24, posted a letter from the UK interior ministry on his Instagram page on Sunday, which read: “Your claim for asylum has been successful and you have been granted refugee status.”
UK authorities accepted that Chung has a “well-founded fear of persecution and therefore cannot return to your country”.
He has been granted a five-year residence permit and will be able to apply for permanent residence.
“The moment I received this notification, my feelings were truly indescribable,” Chung wrote on Instagram.
“My first reaction was sheer excitement… however, this sense of possibility has brought me fear — fear of planning for the future,” he added.
“All I can say is that I won’t give up, and I don’t want to give up,” he vowed. (AFP)