# Frances Hui

Frances Hui Wing-ting (Chinese: 許穎婷; born 30 September 1999) is a Hong Kong social activist and the director of We The Hongkongers and a former member of the Scholarism.
She studied at the Our Lady’s College in Hong Kong and studied journalism at the Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She became known for writing an article in Emerson College's campus publication, "I am from Hong Kong, not China".

## Career

On May 23, 2015, Hui rebuked then Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Leung Chun-ying and opposed the Hong Kong Government's proposed political reform plan at a public hearing of the Hong Kong Legislative Council.
On April 2, 2019, she wrote an article in Emerson College's campus publication Berkeley Beacon titled "I'm from Hong Kong, Not China", detailing the differences between Hong Kong and mainland China, pointing out that Hong Kong under "One Country, Two Systems", enjoys basic human rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of press and publication, and freedom of assembly granted by the Basic Law. At the same time, the article also criticized the lack of communication channels between minority groups in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang, expressed her disapproval of the university's adoption of 'Hong Kong, China,' and reiterated that it would firmly protect the identity of the Hong Kong people.
On June 8, 2019, Hui posted a video to oppose the “Fugitive Offenders Amendment Bill” proposed by the Hong Kong Government and claimed that if the Fugitive Offenders Amendment Bill is passed, Hong Kong's human rights problems will worsen and she will not have the courage to return to Hong Kong.
In an interview with Xia News on December 5, 2019, Hui said that she was not displeased with Mainland China or Chinese identity from the beginning. The turning point in supporting Hong Kong independence was the 2014 Umbrella Revolution and the 2019 extradition bill protests.
On March 10, 2020, Hui Yingting launched We the Hong Kongers, an organization for Hong Kong people in the United States, and called on all Hong Kongers living in the United States to fill in the identity of “Hong Kong people” in the racial column of the 2020 US Census. She believes that the answer will not only help the US federal government more accurately assess the needs of Hong Kong people, such as providing more support for Cantonese services, but more importantly, it will reflect the identity of Hong Kong people and help promote the lobbying work of Hong Kong people in the US Congress.
On November 1, 2020, twelve members of the We the Hongkongers were detained for more than 70 days by the Hong Kong Police. Hui and many people in Hong Kong and abroad who are concerned about Hong Kong recorded a short video to call on the world to pay attention to the incident.
On December 17, 2020, she announced her exile in a post on her personal social media, saying that she was born a Hong Konger and will die with the soul of Hong Kong.
On April 14, 2022, Hui announced that she had been granted political asylum in the United States, becoming the first person from Hong Kong to be granted political asylum by the United States federal government.
On December 14, 2023, the National Security Division of the Hong Kong Police issued a bounty of HK$1 million for the arrest of five overseas Hong Kong social activists including Hui, Joey Siu, Simon Cheng, Kenneth Fok, and Cai Mingda. This move caused an uproar in international public opinion. The US State Department condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for ignoring international norms of democracy and human rights, and pointed out that the Hong Kong government has no jurisdiction within the United States. American Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Mike Gallagher stated that “defenders of democracy and freedom will continue to enjoy the protection of the liberties and rights guaranteed in the United States Constitution.” In addition, several members of the United States Congress from all parties issued a statement saying that it was unacceptable for the Hong Kong SAR government to be controlled by the CCP and to use intimidation and harassment to persecute American citizens and residents who engage in peaceful political activities in the United States. Stressing the need for the US Congress to take urgent action to address the CCP's transnational repression, Krishnamoorthi and Gallagher called on the US federal government to immediately sanction the CCP and Hong Kong officials responsible for executing the search warrant.
On 24 December 2024, the Hong Kong government canceled the Hong Kong passports of Hui and six other Hong Kong activists based overseas under Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23.