Taipei: Ivan Choi was forced into exile after playing an active role on the front lines of Hong Kong’s 2019 mass protests. He chose Taiwan as a haven but found the path to Taiwanese citizenship fraught with challenges. “I gave up everything in Hong Kong, came to Taiwan alone with just two suitcases,” Choi said. “There was no way this could have gone smoothly.”

According to Focus Taiwan, in an initial phone interview with CNA in June, the month Choi received his Taiwanese ID card, the 26-year-old reflected on his years of uncertainty in Taiwan, an island country he now calls his “second homeland” and is ready to serve.

In 2019, a proposed extradition bill backed by the Hong Kong government sparked months of large-scale protests, known as the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement. Among the protesters, Choi was a “frontliner” who engaged in direct confrontations with police, including during the July 1 storming of the Legislative Council Complex. He recalled the intensity of the clashes and the injuries he sustained.

With help from fellow protesters, Choi escaped the LegCo Complex and, fearing arrest, fled to Taiwan on July 6. He sought refuge, knowing the risks of being identified by police. The realization that returning to Hong Kong was not an option became clear when his family home was searched by police.

The Anti-ELAB movement quieted down in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the enactment of the national security law in Hong Kong. However, Choi’s journey in Taiwan was only beginning. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council announced a humanitarian aid program to assist Hongkongers, citing Article 18 of the Act Governing Relations with Hong Kong and Macau. Choi was among the earliest applicants approved under the program, receiving a resident certificate.

During his time in Taiwan, Choi immersed himself in local life by studying at a university and working at a human rights NGO. He became active in activist circles, participating in events that highlighted Taiwan’s local history and struggles against authoritarianism. Choi drew parallels between Taiwan’s past under authoritarian rule and the current situation in Hong Kong, noting the similarities in repression and control.