- Title: Nathan Law seen as contender for Nobel Peace Prize
- Date: 29th September 2021
- Summary: Nathan Law came to prominence during a series of massive demonstrations in Hong Kong during the autumn of 2014. The demonstrations, known as the "Occupy Movement" and also as the Umbrella Movement, saw protesters clashing with the police and paralysing parts of Hong Kong. Law was one of several student leaders who attended talks with the governments in an attempt to mediate the political crisis. HONG KONG, CHINA (FILE - OCTOBER 2014) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF HONG KONG DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS INCLUDING NATHAN LAW (SECOND FROM LEFT) BEFORE MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HONG KONG, CHINA (FILE - AUGUST 27, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HONG KONG ACTIVISTS INCLUDING JOSHUA WONG (WEARING RED T-SHIRT) AND NATHAN LAW (WEARING BLACK T-SHIRT) REPORTING TO HONG KONG POLICE HEADQUARTERS OVER CHARGES RELATED TO THE 2014 UMBRELLA MOVEMENT HONG KONG, CHINA (FILE - APRIL 10, 2016) (REUTERS) FOUNDING MEMBERS OF POLITICAL PARTY DEMOSISTO, INCLUDING NATHAN LAW (MIDDLE), CHANTING AS THEY LAUNCH THEIR PARTY PROJECTION ON SCREEN WITH TEXT READING (English): "WE ARE DEMOSISTO" VARIOUS OF LAW SPEAKING Joshua Wong, Alex Chow, and Nathan Law were sentenced in 2016 to non-jail terms including community service for unlawful assembly in charges stemming from political protests, but the Department of Justice in the former British colony applied for a review, seeking imprisonment. HONG KONG, CHINA (FILE - JULY 21, 2016) (REUTERS) HONG KONG ACTIVISTS INCLUDING LAW (MIDDLE) WALKING OUT OF COURT HONG KONG ACTIVISTS INCLUDING LAW (MIDDLE) CHANTING (Cantonese): "I WANT REAL UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE!" HONG KONG, CHINA (FILE - SEPTEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LAW CAMPAIGNING IN PUBLIC WHEN HE WAS A CANDIDATE FOR THE LEGISLATURE A Hong Kong court jailed three leaders of the Chinese-ruled city's democracy movement for six to eight months in August 2017, dealing a blow to the youth-led push for universal suffrage and prompting accusations of political interference. HONG KONG, CHINA (FILE - JULY 14, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DISQUALIFIED LAWMAKERS, INCLUDING LAW, AND PROTESTERS CHANTING RED CROSS ON PLACARD READING (English): "POLITICAL PROSECUTION PERSECUTION'' China's parliament overwhelmingly approved imposing national security legislation on Hong Kong in 2020 to tackle secession, subversion, terrorism, and foreign interference. Law was one of several prominent activists who campaigned against the new law. HONG KONG, CHINA (FILE - MAY 22, 2020) (REUTERS) WONG (FAR LEFT) AND LAW (MIDDLE) HANDING OUT LEAFLETS AGAINST NATIONAL SECURITY LAW IN FRONT OF A STREET STAND LEAFLET ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY LAW VARIOUS OF LAW SPEAKING AS PEDESTRIANS WALK PAST Law left Hong Kong shortly after the imposition of the national security law, initially declining to reveal his location. UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION (FILE - JULY 2, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) HONG KONG DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST, NATHAN LAW, SAYING: "I will definitely be vocal and active at the international level and deliver Hong Kong people's demands and their voices, given that they are unlikely to do so on the ground." Law has appeared at numerous locations in Europe, including in Rome and Germany, urging the international community to support Hong Kong and to address the human rights violations in China. ROME, ITALY (FILE - AUGUST 25, 2020) (REUTERS) LAW POSING WITH BANNER READING (English): "WE STAND WITH HONG KONG", WITH MEMBERS OF 'BROTHERS OF ITALY' POLITICAL PARTY VARIOUS OF LAW SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE BERLIN, GERMANY (FILE - SEPTEMBER 1, 2020) (REUTERS) DEMONSTRATORS PROTESTING AGAINST GERMAN VISIT OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER WANG YI, HOLDING BANNER READING (English): "FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, STAND WITH HONG KONG" LAW (MIDDLE), GERMAN OPPOSITION GREENS MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT MARGARETE BAUSE (THIRD FROM RIGHT), AND OTHER ACTIVISTS HOLDING BANNERS AT PROTEST HAND HOLDING SMARTPHONE FILMING PROTEST ACTIVISTS STANDING AND HOLDING BANNERS AND EAST TURKESTAN FLAGS
- Embargoed: 13th October 2021 11:03
- Keywords: Hong Kong Nathan Law Nobel Peace Prize Oslo umbrella movement
- Location: HONG KONG, CHINA / UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION / ROME, ITALY / BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: HONG KONG, CHINA / UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION / ROME, ITALY / BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Hong Kong
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWWSV2F
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law is among those seen as a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
Law was one of the student leaders during the 2014 Umbrella Movement sit-in, which lasted 79 days and paralysed the city's commercial district, and later became one of the founding members, alongside Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow, of the now-defunct political group Demosisto.
The 28-year-old fled his home city in July last year after a sweeping national security law was imposed by Beijing, and was granted political asylum in Britain. Police officially ordered the arrest of Law for inciting secession and collusion weeks after he left.
The national security law sentences those found guilty of subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces with up to life imprisonment. Hong Kong has since cracked down on dissent, arresting activists, opposition legislators, and journalists.
China's foreign minister Wang Yi has previously cautioned against handing the award to Hong Kong protesters, stating that the award shouldn't be politicised. Relations between China and Norway were strained for years after Liu Xiaobo, a critic of the Chinese government, was awarded the prize in 2010.
The 2021 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 8.
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