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“The man who met us said next time we saw someone who showed us an HSBC keyring, with a bull’s head on it, we should follow them. On Aug 24, two men called us down to the hotel lobby. They showed us the keyring and we got into a taxi together. We drove for an hour and picked up six others, in two or three taxis. We waited until the night when two more cars came to take us to Humen.

At 9pm we all got in one boat and at 11pm we arrived at Dragon Tiger beach in Yuen Long, Hong Kong.

From Brother Six’s office, guys from the Hong Kong Alliance took us to a building where we stayed until it was our time to leave.

In November, I was suddenly told to go to the US consulate and I knew the moment had come. When the plane took off, my wife and I cried.”

WANG CHAOHUA, 61

Now professor of Chinese literature at the University of California, she was among leaders on the “21 Most Wanted” list. She eventually fled with a faked work certificate, helped by the Hong Kong Alliance.

Three friends went into the train station before me and checked for surveillance cameras. We booked a cabin. I slept in the middle bunk and the others played cards, blocking any strangers from coming close.

In Guangzhou two people were waiting for us. They gave the agreed code and we followed them. A van came to get us… to Shenzhen. I was put into a two-room apartment. Next day, five or six people came in, telling me to follow them. It was night and I was taken to a car.

When I got out I saw a speedboat arriving on a beach. It didn’t take long before we got to the other side. All the people said the same thing, ‘This is Hong Kong we will not deliver you to the mainland police, don’t worry.’ Even after I got on the plane, I had no idea where I was going to, but eventually I landed in LA.”