The South China Morning Post published another article early Thursday morning local time about its exclusive interview with Edward Snowden, the person responsible for leaking top-secret information about the National Security Agency's secret surveillance programs. The Post reported that Snowden revealed that the U.S. government "had been hacking into computers in Hong Kong and [in China] for years."
Snowden spoke with The Post's Lana Lam from an undisclosed location. He said that the U.S. was "bullying" Hong Kong to extradite him and that he has been in constant fear for his safety. "I will never feel safe," he said. "Things are very difficult for me in all terms, but speaking truth to power is never without risk."
Lam also reported:
Snowden said that according to unverified documents seen by the Post, the NSA had been hacking computers in Hong Kong and on the mainland since 2009. None of the documents revealed any information about Chinese military systems, he said.
The Post published excerpts from its interview with Snowden on Wednesday afternoon local time. After revealing his identity through The Guardian on Sunday, Snowden checked out of Hong Kong's Mira Hotel on Monday and reportedly moved to a safe house.
The former NSA contracter discussed his decision to flee the U.S. to Hong Kong, a country he said he admired for its commitment to free speech. He added that he planned to stay in Hong Kong until he was "asked to leave," and responded to Russia saying that it would consider offering him asylum if he requested.