A protester holds a picture of Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor who leaked top-secret information about U.S. surveillance programs, outside the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong on June 13, 2013
NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden is far from the first exile under a cloud to seek sanctuary in Hong Kong. The territory has a long legacy of harboring the oppressed and disaffected — from beleaguered emperors to left-wing dissidents and deposed heads of state. And while the fate of the 29-year-old former CIA employee currently hangs in the balance, history shows us that similar outcasts have both suffered and thrived while hiding in the territory. Here are nine prominent examples.
PHOTOS: What’s Next for Snowden: 10 Notorious Leakers and How They Fared