Samuel Chu is used to his phone, going rogue in the middle of the night, buzzing, beeping,

demanding his attention.

He's an advocate for democracy in Hong Kong, but he lives here in the US, that 15-hour

time difference.

It means that when news breaks back in China, he's usually fast asleep.

So when his phone started going off a couple weeks ago, he mostly just tried to ignore it.

But when I finally, like, was bothered enough to actually pick up my phone to read, I

realized that this is breaking news, just a different kind of breaking news, because

it was my name that was appearing under breaking news.

The breaking news, it was that the Chinese government had issued a warrant for Samuel's

arrest.

The first two people that I actually picked up was one just happened to be reported from

Hong Kong, actually, in Hong Kong, who called me, you know, who I actually know.

And she was like, well, I just want to check to see if you're okay.

And if you have a statement, and I was like, literally, you're the first person I've

spoken to you.

Since I found, I mean, I'm still in bed.

It really didn't hit me until I think, like, a few minutes after that, okay, like, this

is about me specifically.

Samuel is an American citizen, but his organization, the Hong Kong Democracy Council, it advocates

for Hong Kong's protesters in Washington.

The warrant for Samuel's arrest was issued under Hong Kong's new security law.

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