Tag: national security law

Hong Kong Now Ranked as One of the Worst Civic Spaces Alongside North Korea and Other Authoritarian Regions

On March 16, The International Civil Society Organization CIVICUS released “People Power Under Attack 2022,” a report evaluating citizens’ freedom movement worldwide. In the latest report, Hong Kong has dropped from the second worst “Repressed” category to the worst, “Closed” category. According to the report, Hong Kong is now one of the world’s 27 worst…


Senate Targets Beijing for Violating Hong Kong Democracy and ‘Double Voting’ at World Bodies

Forty U.S. senators signed a non-binding motion on March 15, requiring the U.S. government to utilize any feasible tools in unwavering response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) suppression of democratic freedoms in Hong Kong. The resolution lays out the actions taken by the CCP in undermining the 1984 agreement of one country, two systems,…


Hong Kong’s Degree of Freedom Continued to Decline, Scored Just 42 Points out of 100

Hong Kong’s political rights and civil liberties have further deteriorated, with the score provided by Freedom House, a U.S. NGO, showing it is going down repeatedly. In Freedom House’s latest Freedom in the World 2023 report, Hong Kong’s degree of freedom score is only 42 out of 100. The latest report reviews Hong Kong’s situation…


Hong Kong Police Arrested Lee Cheuk-Yan’s Wife, Former Workers Rights Union Director-General, Suspected of Colluding With Foreign Forces

On March 9, Elizabeth Tang Yin-ngor, former Secretary-general of the now-dissolved Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU), was arrested on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. Tang was released on bail on March 11. Tang is the wife of Lee Cheuk-yan, former chairperson of the now-dissolved Hong Kong Alliance in…


Cell Phone Repair Shop Owner Arrested and Remanded in Prison in Hong Kong for Over 2 Years Without Trial

Lai Chen-pong, a 28-year-old mobile phone repair shop owner in Mongkok, 3C Repair Studio, was a dedicated supporter during the Anti-extradition Protests in 2019. Lai was arrested by the Hong Kong Police and charged with the United Nations (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance (Cap. 575), Prohibition of Explosions with Specified Targets. Lai has been remanded in jail…


UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: National Security Law Makes HK’s Judicial Independence in Name Only

The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights issued a review conclusion on March 6, referring to reports that the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) has actually abolished Hong Kong’s judicial independence and has been used in a whole spectrum of restrictive acts. It has put pressure on academics, damaged academic freedom,…


Hong Kong Government Adds National Security Law Clause to Land Sales and Leases

An extra clause of the National Security Law was included in the land sales and lease contracts by the Lands Department of Hong Kong. The terms explicitly state that the Hong Kong government holds the right to disqualify any bidding on national security grounds and terminate any short-term lease concerning national security. The Lands Department…


UK Banks Including HSBC ‘Complicit’ in Hong Kong Human Rights Suppression, Lawmakers Found

British banks in Hong Kong, including HSBC, have been complicit in suppressing human rights by proactively supporting Beijing’s National Security Law, a group of UK lawmakers found in an inquiry. In a report published on Wednesday, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hong Kong said there are “numerous instances” where banks have denied Hongkongers access to their…


Cardinal Joseph Zen Had a Private Meeting With Pope Francis

When Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the honorary bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong and ex-trustee of the 612 Humanitarian Support Fund, was in Rome to attend Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral, he also had a meeting with Pope Francis. Cardinal Zen, who was in jail on suspicion of violating the National Security Law, was…


From Democracy Wall to Sim Card Real-Name Registration and Tracing App, Hong Kong People Are Under Increasing Surveillance

At a time when the “White Paper Revolution” in China is booming, the students at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) are required to add their student ID before posting any messages on the Democracy Wall (bulletin board) on campus, HKU announced on Nov. 29. In addition to speech control in colleges, real-name registration is being…