A pro-democracy lawyer based in South Australia has been targeted with a $200,000 bounty less than a week after a fake brochure was sent to a mosque.
A Hong Kong-born democracy advocate and Adelaide lawyer has been targeted by a bounty letter offering a six-figure reward for his capture, in what appears to be an escalating campaign of intimidation against exiled dissidents.
Ted Hui received a letter at his Australian office claiming that he was wanted for national security offences and advocating for the independence of both Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The document, mailed from Hong Kong, includes Hui’s personal details—such as his location, date of birth, height, body type, and ethnicity—and states in bold red letters that anyone providing information on him or his family, or assisting in his deportation to Hong Kong or Australian authorities, would receive a reward of HK$1 million (US$126,000).
Second Incident in Days
The letter comes just days after Hui was also targeted by a separate document, a brochure sent from Macau to a South Australian mosque, falsely accusing him of backing Israel and calling for a war on Islamic terrorism.
The weaponised anti-Semitic claim is believed to be an attempt to incite hostility against Hui among Muslim communities.
Hui told The Epoch Times on March 19 that the incident shows the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is watching Australia closely.
He said he anticipated becoming the subject of a bounty following the brochure that was sent to the mosque.
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“I can see a change of tactic,” he said on March 19, noting current issues around social cohesion were being misused by “malicious powers.”
Ted Hui, the former Hong Kong councillor who is now in exile in Adelaide is seen in Sydney at a rally. Huang Jiachuan/ The Epoch Times
Similar Bounty Letter Sent to Another Activist
Hui is not the only activist being targeted. Kevin Yam, a fellow Hong Kong democracy advocate now living in Melbourne, has also received a bounty level offering the same HK$1 million reward for information leading to his capture.
Unlike Hui’s case, Yam’s letters were sent to random addresses in Melbourne, raising concerns that intimidation efforts may be expanding beyond activists to their communities.
Foreign Minister’s Condemnation
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has condemned all the threatening correspondence received by Hui and Yam, labelling the latest attempt as “reprehensible” and a threat to the security of Australians.
“Australia will not tolerate the targeting, surveillance, harassment or intimidation of any person in Australia by a foreign government,” Wong said.
“The Australian government and our security agencies are acting to keep Australians safe, protect their democratic rights, and support affected individuals and communities.
“Australia has raised, and will continue to raise, our concerns directly with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.”
