Transnational harassment is ratcheting up against pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong, with two exiled individuals receiving sexually explicit letters sent from Macau.
In the UK, neighbours of Carmen Lau, a former district councillor and activist, received letters purporting to be from her. The letters showed digitally faked images of Lau as a sex worker, including five deepfaced images of her face superimposed on women's bodies in various states of undress. The text included Lau's name, body measurements, and her former home address, accompanied by a message that appeared to suggest she was open to forming close relationships.
Ted Hui, a former Hong Kong legislator, and his wife received similar treatment. A fake poster advertising his wife's services as a sex worker was sent to people in Adelaide. The poster included an old photograph of Hui and his wife under the headline "Hong Kong lonely housewife", with prices listed for various sexual services.
Lau expressed her terror at receiving the letters, saying she felt threatened like a woman. She believed that these letters represented an escalation of transnational repression using digital tools specifically targeting women.
Hui stated he had anticipated something like this would happen and said his wife was left speechless after receiving the poster. The address listed on the poster did not belong to him, but it is unclear who actually received the letter as the police have not yet made any arrests.
Joshua Reynolds MP for Maidenhead called on the government to take decisive action over these incidents of harassment.
In the UK, neighbours of Carmen Lau, a former district councillor and activist, received letters purporting to be from her. The letters showed digitally faked images of Lau as a sex worker, including five deepfaced images of her face superimposed on women's bodies in various states of undress. The text included Lau's name, body measurements, and her former home address, accompanied by a message that appeared to suggest she was open to forming close relationships.
Ted Hui, a former Hong Kong legislator, and his wife received similar treatment. A fake poster advertising his wife's services as a sex worker was sent to people in Adelaide. The poster included an old photograph of Hui and his wife under the headline "Hong Kong lonely housewife", with prices listed for various sexual services.
Lau expressed her terror at receiving the letters, saying she felt threatened like a woman. She believed that these letters represented an escalation of transnational repression using digital tools specifically targeting women.
Hui stated he had anticipated something like this would happen and said his wife was left speechless after receiving the poster. The address listed on the poster did not belong to him, but it is unclear who actually received the letter as the police have not yet made any arrests.
Joshua Reynolds MP for Maidenhead called on the government to take decisive action over these incidents of harassment.
sending fake pics & vids of these activists w/ their faces or husbands' faces on women's bodies is just cruel. it's not just the harassment itself but the fact that ppl r using tech 2 manipulate & intimidate them, like it's some kinda cyberbullying on steroids...we need 2 take a stand against this! 
. I mean, what's next? Sending fake cat videos of Carmen Lau's kids to her doorstep? It's like they think they're above the law or something... Newsflash: you're not, and your weird fantasies aren't going to intimidate anyone 
. And can we talk about how pathetic it is that Ted Hui basically admitted he knew this was gonna happen? Like, "Oh, I'm so prepared for my wife's virtual strip club" 
. Anyway, whoever's behind this stuff needs to get a grip and some basic human decency lessons... or just use a VPN like everyone else 
. Can't believe people would resort to such sick and twisted tactics just to silence pro-democracy activists like Carmen Lau and Ted Hui. It's like, they're trying to break them down emotionally and psychically. I mean, who does that? The fact that these letters were digitally faked with images of women's bodies superimposed on Lau's face is just low 
. And the harassment against Ted Hui's wife, it's just not right... it's like they're trying to turn them into some kind of sex object or something 
. This is a total escalation of transnational repression using digital tools, and we need to call out those responsible for it 
.
its like theyre trying to intimidate them online and offline. i feel so bad for carmen lau she wasnt expecting this at all and now shes saying that these letters represent an escalation of transnational repression using digital tools specifically targeting women, which is SO true 
this is getting out of hand, you know? i mean, transnational harassment against pro-democracy activists in hong kong is bad enough, but taking it to a personal level like this? that's just low 
this is getting outta hand 
. These letters are so disgusting 
, especially the way they used digital manipulation to spread these false images 
.
. Whoever is doing this, they need to stop 
. It's not just a joke anymore 
, it's real life trauma 
, but we need more action from the government 
. We can't let these harassers get away with this 
These letters are a clear example of psychological warfare 
It's just so manipulative and desperate. Can we just take a step back and figure out why these people are resorting to such tactics instead of trying to engage in real conversations? 
.
. I mean, come on, who does that?! These fake letters and posters are not only gross but also incredibly effective at intimidating victims into shutting up 
. We need to call out these harassers and hold them accountable for their actions 
. Can we please get some real action from our governments on this?! 
and it's getting outta control 
! It's like they're using digital tools to stalk & harass these ppl 
. Someone needs to do something about this ASAP 
This is getting crazy! I'm so frustrated when I see people being harassed like this. It's not just that they're being targeted, it's that their personal info and pics are being used in fake letters and posters - it's like, they can't even walk down the street without being stalked online and offline. And it's not just about Carmen Lau or Ted Hui, it's a pattern of behavior that's affecting pro-democracy activists worldwide. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna send fake pics of politicians' spouses as sex workers too? 
. And who knew digital tools could be used for more than just cat videos and memes 
? Anyway, hope Carmen and Ted are doing alright after this traumatic experience... and if anyone knows where I can get some good takeout around here, let me know