Hong Kong pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Agnes Chow Ting said on Tuesday that they have quitted the pro-democracy group Demosisto they co-founded, just hours after Beijing had reportedly passed a national security law for the city.

“Under such evil law, it is no longer groundless for democratic dissidents to worry about their lives and personal safety,” Wong announced on his Facebook page. He said that in the face of a 10-year imprisonment or extradition to China, “no one can be sure about [what will happen] tomorrow.”

“The will of Hong Kong will not be frozen by the national security law or any evil law”, he asserted.

Despite his resignation from the group, Wong insisted that he would persist in advocating for his beliefs individually.

“I will stay to defend my home, Hong Kong, until they silence, obliterate me from this land,” Wong wrote.

“If my voice will not be heard soon, I hope that the international community will continue to speak up for Hong Kong and step up concrete efforts to defend our last bit of freedom,” Wong appealed to the international community on Twitter.

Agnes Chow also posted on Twitter a few minutes later, saying that it was a very difficult decision to leave the group as one of the founding members.

“I will no longer be involved with international outreach work," Chow wrote.

Law, the founding chairperson of the group, later announced his withdrawal on his Facebook page and said he will participate in social movements as an individual.

Under the new national security law, Hongkongers will be incriminated for their “wrong thoughts and speech”, Law said. “Political figures will be at more risk and it is difficult to predict their personal safety.”

Jeffrey Ngo also resigned from his position as standing committee member of Demosisto and quitted the group.

Click here for Chinese version.

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