Unlike others with low profiles, Lo says he has set himself the task of continuing to support democracy in Hong Kong. “The challenges I face as a political activist in Hong Kong are different from the challenges I face as an exiled activist,” he said from London. “I need to talk to policymakers, talk to the media to explain things in a way that they understand – and connect what I want them to do in their own interest.” Despite these changes, both in his place of residence and in the work he does, Law says he is trying to adapt. “I think it’s a very satisfying trip for me,” he says. In other ways, however, it is easier to get media attention in London than in Hong Kong, as press freedom has plummeted as China’s influence has grown, according to Reporters Without Borders. In 2002, when the Press Freedom Index was first published, Hong Kong ranked 18th out of 180 countries. Last year it dropped to 80 and this year it is at 148. China, meanwhile, ranks 176th.
