Carmen Lau is a Hong Kong activist, currently living in exile in the U.K. and publicly subject to 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, then Hong Kong’s second-largest pro-democracy entity. Amid escalating political repression, she was compelled to resign her elected office in 2021 and sought refuge in the U.K. She was subsequently sought for “incitement to cast blank votes.” In 2024, an additional arrest warrant and the bounty were issued. The targeting has also extended to her family, who have faced interrogation, and her U.K. neighbors, who have received anonymous letters inciting bounty hunting.

Continuing her dedication to democracy and civil liberties from exile, Carmen works with the Hong Kong Democracy Council, where she spearheads global advocacy to build international solidarity for Hong Kongers. She also founded Hong Kong March, a U.K.-wide cultural initiative dedicated to preserving Hong Kong identity, and led the “Vote for Hong Kong 2024” campaign, focused on mobilizing diaspora political influence. She serves on the Leadership Council of the World Liberty Congress, collaborating with global dissidents to strengthen the transnational pro-democracy movement.

Carmen has testified before the U.K. Parliament and addressed key global forums including the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, the Oslo Freedom Forum, and Chatham House. She has been extensively featured in major international media, notably the Financial Times, Politico, BBC, and CNN, among other outlets.

Carmen earned a B.A. in Government and Public Administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.