BANGKOK — Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has boarded a plane back to Hong Kong after being denied entry to Thailand by immigration authorities, his political organization said.
The 19-year-old activist will arrive in Hong Kong at about 3:45pm local time, according to a statement posted online by Demosisto Party, of which he is a leader. Wong was supposed to speak at Chulalongkorn University on Thursday but was barred from entering the country upon landing at Suvarnuabhumi Airport.
Wong and Demosisto chairman Nathan Law will hold a news conference about the incident at Hong Kong’s parliament Thursday night, the statement said.
Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Detained at BKK – Whereabouts Unknown
The well-known activist flew from Taiwan to Thailand on invitation by a student group to speak Thursday at an event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Oct. 6 Massacre, in which dozens of left-wing students were killed by paramilitary and police forces.
The massacre remains a topic of taboo in Thailand due to the involvement of royalist groups at the time.
Immigration officials previously refused to clarify why Wong was denied entry, while Wong’s associates in Thailand alleged Thai immigration was following orders from the Chinese government, a claim the junta would neither confirm nor dispute.
Demosisto, which advocates for greater autonomy from the mainland government, staged a protest in front of the Thai Consulate in Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon to denounce Wong’s detention.
