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Brian Wong

The father of a wanted Hong Kong activist has been convicted under the city’s domestic national security law for trying to cash out an insurance policy worth more than HK$88,000 in his daughter’s name.
West Kowloon Court on Wednesday convicted Kwok Yin-sang of attempting to deal with the financial assets of US-based activist Anna Kwok Fung-yee, despite knowing authorities had classified her as an absconder under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.
The defendant, 69, is the first person to be found guilty of a non-sedition-related offence under the ordinance, which was enacted in 2024 to fulfil the requirement of Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution.
Anna Kwok, executive director of the US-based Hong Kong Democracy Council, is wanted by national security police for allegedly colluding with foreign forces by instigating sanctions against the city and mainland China.
The 29-year-old is among eight activists who had HK$1 million bounties placed on their heads in 2023 for allegedly violating the Beijing-decreed national security law.
The elder Kwok, the proprietor of a local engineering firm, ran into legal trouble after seeking to cash out a life and personal accident insurance policy with AIA International which he bought for his daughter when she was 22 months old.
The policy had an accumulated value of US$11,371, equivalent to about HK$88,684.
The court heard Kwok met his daughter in Japan in early 2025 to obtain her signature on an application form, which he later learned was outdated and no longer valid.
Insurance agent Cheng Wai-yee, who had handled policies taken out by Kwok for his three children, suggested the defendant could sign next to his daughter’s name, after the father said she would not be able to sign a new form soon.

When national security police arrested Kwok in April last year, he knew the Security Bureau had classified his daughter as an absconder, but stressed that he alone had paid all the premiums over the years.
Police also arrested Cheng but agreed not to prosecute her for fraud and using a false document, provided that she testified for the prosecution.
A major issue in contention was whether the policy’s funds belonged to Anna Kwok or the defendant.
Acting principal magistrate Andy Cheng Lim-chi on Wednesday found that the activist was the holder of all benefits under the policy, whereas her father only held the proceeds in trust and had no power to transfer or withdraw money without her consent.
While the insurance agent was unable to explain in court why AIA’s records appeared to list the defendant as the policy’s owner even after his daughter became an adult, the magistrate said that did not affect the witness’s credibility, suggesting the records might not have been up to date.
The defence cited Kwok’s declaration made in divorce proceedings in 2023, in which he listed the daughter’s insurance policy as part of his assets, in an attempt to show his consistent understanding of who had ultimate control over the funds.
But Andy Cheng dismissed that contention and said the court could not speculate whether the defendant still held the same belief at the time of the offence, especially as he had chosen not to testify.
In mitigation, defence counsel Steven Kwan Man-wai said a 14-day jail term would sufficiently reflect the gravity of the crime, adding that its impact on national security was limited.
But the magistrate said the attempted offence, if successful, would have undermined authorities’ efforts to compel Anna Kwok to return to Hong Kong.
Kwan argued the ordinance was designed to punish crimes endangering national security rather than to put pressure on individuals.
“In this case, Anna Kwok has never accepted the insurance policy as her own from start to finish. She only became its legal holder automatically [when she turned 18],” the lawyer said, adding that the failure to withdraw the money “will not put her under any pressure”.
The defendant was remanded in custody pending sentencing on February 26.
The offence is punishable by up to seven years behind bars, but capped at two years when it is the only charge to be tried before a magistrate.


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Kwok Yin-sang (centre) arrives at West Kowloon Court during the trial in October last year. Photo: Edmond So

Anna Kwok is wanted by national security police. Photo: Facebook/annakwokfy

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Merchant Kwok Yin-sang pleaded not guilty before West Kowloon Court on Wednesday. Photo: Dickson Lee

The defendant is the father of Anna Kwok, who is among eight activists who had HK$1 million bounties placed on their heads in 2023 for allegedly violating the Beijing-decreed 2020 national security law. Photo: Facebook/annakwokfy

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Anna Kwok, executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, a US-based non-profit agency that seeks to expand freedom in China, is wanted by the city’s police, with HK$1 million reward for her arrest. Photo: Facebook

Hong Kong activist Anna Kwok speaks via video from the US, alongside activists Alric Lee (centre), based in Japan, and Finn Lau, based in the UK, at a press conference in Tokyo in June last year. Photo: AFP

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Kwok Yin-sang tried to deal with financial assets of US-based Anna Kwok, despite knowing daughter is wanted activist with HK$1 million bounty


Kwok Yin-sang tried to deal with financial assets of US-based Anna Kwok, despite knowing daughter is wanted activist with HK$1 million bounty.


Hong Kong fugitive’s father guilty of trying to cash out her insurance policy

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Kwok Yin-sang tried to deal with financial assets of US-based Anna Kwok, despite knowing daughter is wanted activist with HK$1 million bounty

Kwok Yin-sang tried to deal with financial assets of US-based Anna Kwok, despite knowing daughter is wanted activist with HK$1 million bounty