US condemns HK bounties, passport revocations for democrats

WASHINGTON, Dec 27 (Reuters): The US State Department said that Hong Kong's (HK) ofered bounties for six more pro-democracy campaigners who were deemed to have violated national security laws and the revoking of the passports of seven more amounted to intimidation efforts.

The State Department also separately condemned China for taking steps against two Canadian institutions and 20 people involved in human rights issues concerning the Uyghurs and Tibet.

"We reject the Hong Kong government's efforts to intimidate and silence individuals who choose to make the United States their home," the US State Department said in a statement on Thursday, adding some of the targeted individuals were based in the United States.

There was no immediate response from China's foreign ministry to Reuters' request for comment on the State Department's condemnations. China-imposed national security legislation in Hong Kong has triggered US sanctions and has been used to jail pro-democracy activists after violent street protests in 2019.