Thai authorities have detained an activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities for national security violations just hours before she was to fly to Canada under a refugee resettlement agreement.

Zhang Xinyan is one among 19 overseas-based democracy campaigners wanted on national security charges.

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Thai authorities have detained an activist wanted by Hong Kong authorities for national security violations just hours before she was to fly to Canada under a refugee resettlement agreement.

Zhang Xinyan, 55, is currently being held at the Suan Phlu immigration detention centre in Bangkok, according to Sunai Phasuk, senior adviser at Human Rights Watch Thailand.

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Ms Zhang is one of 19 activists based overseas who are named in arrest warrants issued by the Hong Kong police in July 2025 for subversion under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law. “Bounties” for their capture range from HK$200,000 to HKcopy million.

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Mr Sunai warned … that any forced return to China could put her at serious risk and violate international law as well as Thailand’s law on the prevention of torture and enforced disappearance.

If sent back, Ms Zhang could become the first person charged under the Hong Kong national security law to be deported and imprisoned. (Story continues below)

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After she was detained on May 7, Ms Zhang contacted Sheng Xue, a Canada-based independent journalist, who helped set in motion efforts to resettle the activist. Yuan Gongyi, the founder of the Hong Kong exile parliament, arranged for a local human rights lawyer in Thailand to help.

The Canadian embassy in Thailand subsequently conducted an interview, medical examination and biometric data collection, and booked a flight for Ms Zhang from Bangkok to Vancouver on July 8, according to Ms Sheng.

“My friends and I had originally planned to go to Vancouver to celebrate Zhang Xinyan’s rescue. Little did we expect that, at the final step of implementing the international humanitarian rescue, Thai authorities suddenly reneged under pressure from the CCP and intercepted her,” she wrote on X, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.

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“She is deeply worried that she will be forcibly repatriated in the coming days,” Ms Sheng said. “Once repatriated, she will face extremely brutal persecution by the CCP regime.”