Briefing: Human rights developments in Hong Kong in June 2022

This briefing describes developments in Hong Kong in June 2022 focusing on the rapid deterioration of human rights in the city following the introduction of the National Security Law.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

POLITICAL PRISONERS: ARRESTS, CHARGES, & TRIALS

In the last month, Beijing continued its crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, with the following developments:

  • Dozens of Hong Kong democrats could face life in prison as their national security case is transferred to the High Court.

  • The former leader of the group behind Hong Kong’s Tiananmen candlelight vigils, activist and barrister Chow Hang-tung, has sought to appeal her conviction and sentence.

  • Six people are arrested as police stamp out attempts to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre.

  • A court has convicted former democratic politician Ted Hui in absentia for skipping bail.

A SLEDGEHAMMER TO CIVIL SOCIETY & EDUCATION

  • The Hospital Authority Employees Alliance, founded in the wake of the 2019 protests, voted to disband. The union said it had faced “political oppression” and “white terror.”

  • New text books being introduced in Hong Kong will teach students that the Chinese government didn’t recognise the treaties that ceded the city to Britain after the opium wars, claiming that the city never was a British colony.

  • ·Hong Kong’s education bureau has forced foreign English-language teachers working in Hong Kong government schools to swear allegiance to the city.

THE STATE OF THE RULE OF LAW

  • New Chief Executive John Lee asks court to relieve penalties for failing to comply with election regulations.

A FREE PRESS IN THE CROSS HAIRS

  •  Factwire, an investigative news outlet, became the fourth major independent news platform to disband in under a year, following Apple Daily, Stand News, and Citizen News.

  • The sedition trial of defunct Stand News is set for October. Stand News’ former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen and former acting chief editor Patrick Lam appeared at the District Court for the initial hearing.

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HANDOVER; 2ND OF THE NSL

  • Tram ads for 25th Hong Kong handover anniversary pulled in Brussels. Two trams were set to traverse the Belgian capital between June 7 and August 29 bearing the slogan: “A New Era – Stability. Prosperity. Opportunity”.

  • Multiple media outlets are blocked from covering Xi's handover anniversary visit.

  • Ahead of the anniversary, national security police search homes of six members of the League of Social Democrats (LSD), one of the last pro-democracy groups still active.

  • Five are arrested for sedition ahead of the handover anniversary.

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first trip outside of mainland China in over two years to swear in the new Chief Executive, John Lee, hailing China’s rule of Hong Kong.

  • Condemnation from UK government and parliamentarians and calls for sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials.

  • G7 statement calls on China to honour its commitments made in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.

  • US condemns Beijing authorities on the anniversary of the handover.

STATE SECURITY AND ECONOMY

  • An investor in China Evergrande Group has filed a winding-up petition against the property developer. It is the first winding-up petition known to have been filed against Evergrande.

  • UK MPs call on Wimbledon to drop HSBC over its support for Hong Kong oppression.

  • Chinese banks cut investment banking staff in Hong Kong during IPO drought.

  • China asks foreign business leaders how to revive Hong Kong, reflecting China’s increasing concern about poor economic data on both sides of the border.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

  • Hong Kong has plunged further in a global human rights index report, bringing it on a par with Saudi Arabia in some indicators, and closer to converging with China.

  • A new ‘terrorism-reporting’ hotline has been rolled out and offers up to 800,000 Hong Kong dollars ($102,000) for information that assists in detecting terrorism-related crimes.

  • UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet will forgo a second term.

  • An activist has been granted political asylum by Sweden. It is believed to be the first asylum award for a Hong Konger in the European Union to explicitly cite the national security law.

  • More than 540,000 Hong Kongers have been issued BNO passports since 2019 as 8,500 Hong Kong students are estimated to have applied for school places in Britain since last September.

  • A Canadian MP, Jenny Kwan, has called for an expansion of Canada’s lifeboat scheme for Hong Kongers.

  • The Chinese government announced the appointment of John Lee’s cabinet, a 26-member team. It includes seven incumbent political appointees, two undersecretaries, six serving or retired civil servants and four lawmakers.

Briefing, NewsHarri ThomasHong Kong