Carmen Lau is a prominent Hong Kong activist in exile under a HK$1 million National Security Law bounty imposed by the Hong Kong government.

Elected as a District Councillor during the city’s 2019 pro-democracy movement, Carmen later served as Deputy Secretary-General of the Civic Party. Amid escalating political repression, she was forced to resign her office in 2021 and seek refuge in the U.K. She has since been targeted by multiple arrest warrants and the 2024 bounty. This repression has extended to her family and U.K. neighbors, the latter of whom have received anonymous letters designed to incite bounty hunting. Most recently, this escalated with a second batch of letters featuring AI-generated deepfake explicit images of Carmen.

Continuing her dedication to democracy and civil liberties from exile, Carmen now collaborates with platforms such as the Hong Kong Democracy Council, having previously led its U.K. office and spearheaded global advocacy to build international solidarity for Hong Kongers, and the World Liberty Congress, collaborating with global dissidents to strengthen transnational activism. Additionally, she has founded and led several initiatives dedicated to preserving Hong Kong identity and mobilizing the diaspora’s political influence.

A frequent voice on the international stage, Carmen has addressed major global forums such as the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, the Oslo Freedom Forum, and Chatham House. Her work and story have been extensively featured in major international media, including the Financial Times, Politico, BBC, and CNN. Carmen holds a B.A. in Government and Public Administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.