‘Not in National Interest’: Singapore Denies Exiled Hong Kong Activist Entry, Despite Approved Visa

Singapore has denied entry to Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law, despite granting him a visa, citing national security concerns.

Law, who has lived in exile in the UK since 2020, said he arrived in Singapore on Saturday for a private conference but was detained for four hours at the border before being put on a flight back to San Francisco.

“I was not asked questions and they did not give reason for the denial,” Law told the BBC. He said his visa, valid for a short stay, was approved three weeks earlier.

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed the decision, saying, “Mr Law’s entry into and presence in the country would not be in Singapore’s national interests.” Officials stressed that visa holders remain subject to further checks at the point of entry, including immigration and security assessments.

Law believes the move was political. “I am unsure whether external forces, such as the PRC, are involved, directly or indirectly,” he said.

Law, a former Hong Kong legislator, fled the city after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020. He was granted asylum in the UK the following year. Hong Kong authorities have since issued arrest warrants for him and offered rewards of HK$1m ($128,000; £95,000) for information leading to his capture.

Singapore, which has an extradition treaty with Hong Kong, has long maintained a policy of keeping foreign political disputes outside its borders. In 2019, it fined a local activist for hosting an online forum featuring Hong Kong’s Joshua Wong.

Erizia Rubyjeana

Source: Arise