National security police have brought in the wife and son of a Hong Kong fugitive to help with an investigation after questioning a leading pollster on whether he or his organisation aided the absconder.
A source said on Tuesday that the wife and son of Chung Kim-wah, an outspoken commentator and former deputy executive director of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, were invited to assist in the investigation in the morning.
Chung, who moved to Britain in 2022, was among six wanted overseas-based activists named by police last month for allegedly contravening the national security law.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
He was accused of repeatedly advocating for the city’s independence on a social media platform between May and June last year, as well as calling for sanctions against Beijing and Hong Kong between 2020 and 2023.
According to the source, Chung’s son is expected to leave Mong Kok police station around noon, while the wife will get out of Tin Shui Wai police station around 1.30pm.
They were brought in just a day after national security police took away the institute’s president, Robert Chung Ting-yiu, and raided the organisation’s office.
Asked how to strike a balance as many research institutions often collaborated with overseas counterparts, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that organisations could rest assured that the national security legislations had “clearly defined” relevant crimes.
“In every operation, the relevant investigation units clearly explained the national security offences involved,” he said. “As long as [organisations] do not have any intentions to threaten national security, I believe they can perform their usual duties with peace of mind.”
Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said on Monday that Robert Chung had not been arrested and the investigation was focused on “whether he or his organisation helped the absconder”.
A police spokesman said investigations had suggested an individual might have used his organisation to help a wanted person who had fled abroad to continue engaging in activities that endangered national security.
He said the department seized evidence, including computers, tablets, mobile phones and bank documents, adding it had also invited a director and two staff members of the organisation to a police station to help with the investigation.
The investigation was ongoing and no arrests were made, he said.
The pollster last month said there were no longer any ties between Chung Kim-wah and the institute following the expiry of his contract in 2022. He added it had been a long time since he was in contact with his former colleague.
In a social media post on Monday, Chung Kim-wah said he had no direct contact with Robert Chung since leaving Hong Kong.
Chung is one of 19 opposition figures on a list of people wanted for allegedly violating the Beijing-imposed law, with bounties of HK$1 million (US$128,690) placed on them.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Hong Kong police take away pollster as part of investigation into absconder
- Hong Kong police place HK$1 million bounties on 6 more activists
For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2025.
