On International Human Rights Day, Hong Kong Watch Marks Its Fifth Anniversary, Renews Calls for Action On Hong Kong and Announces New Patrons in Canada and Europe

As the world marks International Human Rights Day today, Hong Kong Watch marks its fifth anniversary. On 10 December, 2017, in Speaker’s House in the United Kingdom Parliament, the organisation was launched. Today, we renew and re-double our efforts to advocate for human rights, freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

Our co-founder and Chief Executive Benedict Rogers said:

“Five years ago today, we saw the beginning of the erosion of Hong Kong’s freedoms, human rights, autonomy and the rule of law, and came together to form an organisation to alert the international community. Over the past five years, the speed, scale and extent of the dismantling of Hong Kong’s liberties has far exceeded our predictions, but it has proven our concerns prescient. Over the past five years we have formed a team which, with the generous support of so many people, has expanded from a small group of very dedicated volunteers and one part-time employee into an international advocacy organisation that has nine staff, is respected around the world and most importantly, has achieved significant policy changes that make a difference for Hong Kongers. Today, as we mark our fifth anniversary and International Human Rights Day, we resolve to renew and redouble our efforts in the fight for freedom.”

On 10 December, 2017, the Speaker of the UK House of Commons at the time, John Bercow, hosted the launch of Hong Kong Watch, alongside our founding Patrons, former UK Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the Labour Party’s Shadow Minister for Asia Catherine West MP, the independent crossbench peer Lord Alton of Liverpool, the barrister Sir Geoffrey Nice, KC and the late Lord (Paddy) Ashdown, former Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Gray Sergeant, Chair of Trustees of Hong Kong Watch, said:

“We started with a big vision – to fight for Hong Kong’s promised freedoms, to stand with Hong Kong’s democrats, and to shine a light on the dismantling of Hong Kong’s autonomy and rule of law. In the past few years, our vision and our commitment has grown. We have been joined by other distinguished Patrons, including the last Governor of Hong Kong Lord Patten of Barnes, the Liberal Democrat’s Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP, the Labour MP and Chair of the House of Commons International Development Committee Sarah Champion MP, and the Conservative MP and the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on freedom of religion or belief, Fiona Bruce MP. We are truly bipartisan, cross-party and global in our work, in our relationships and in our impact.”

Lord Alton of Liverpool, one of our founding Patrons, said:

“From my early days as a young Member of Parliament in Liverpool, I came to know the Hong Konger community in the UK. I visited Hong Kong several times as a Parliamentarian, most recently in 2019 to lead an election monitoring mission to monitor what turned out to be Hong Kong’s last semi-democratic elections, for the city’s district councils. Over recent years I have watched with increasing sadness the tragic destruction of Hong Kong’s promised freedoms, autonomy, the rule of law and human rights, in total breach on an international treaty, the Sino-British Joint Declaration. But also over the past five years I have been proud to work with Hong Kong Watch, as a founding Patron, and to see the impact of this vital advocacy organisation grow across the world. Hong Kong Watch was the very first Hong Kong advocacy organisation to be established, but in the past five years not only has it expanded but it has inspired, catalysed and spawned other campaigns and directly changed policy and mobilised the international community. And it has changed policy, by inspiring the UK government to provide a pathway to welcome Hong Kongers with British National Overseas (BNO) status, by championing an amendment to help young Hong Kongers not eligible under the BNO scheme, and by advocating sanctions and shining a spotlight on the trials of Hong Kong’s heroes like Jimmy Lai and Cardinal Zen. Five years since I stood alongside other Patrons and Hong Kong Watch’s founders in Speaker’s House, I am both saddened by the speed and scale with which Hong Kong’s freedoms have been dismantled, and yet inspired by the extent to which Hong Kong Watch has expanded its advocacy across the globe. Hong Kongers have no truer friends than Hong Kong Watch, and I hope that as long as Hong Kong needs them, Hong Kong Watch will go from strength to strength.”

Hong Kong Watch has established a presence internationally, particularly in the United States, Canada and the European Union, with Patrons and advocacy staff based in these regions, and advocacy work in Australia, New Zealand and at the United Nations as well. Our International Patrons include South Korea’s former Ambassador for Human Rights Jung-Hoon Lee and the late David Kilgour, former Canadian Member of Parliament and Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific.

Benedict Rogers said:

“Paddy Ashdown and David Kilgour were two of our founding Patrons who have since very sadly passed away. Both were fonts of wisdom, towers of strength, pillars of energy utterly devoted to the cause of freedom for Hong Kong, and we celebrate their lives and legacy and everything they contributed to Hong Kong Watch. In honour of Paddy Ashdown, we have established a memorial lecture and a parliamentary internship, and in the months to come we will find ways to commemorate David Kilgour as well.”

Hong Kong Watch is also proud that the former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback and the President of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and former US Ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell became our US Patrons, and our Canadian Patrons include Canada’s former Attorney-General and Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, Garnett Genuis MP, Senator Leo Housakos, James Bezan MP and former Senator Jim Munson.

One of our Canadian Patrons, Senator Leo Housakos, said:

“On this International Human Rights Day, I want to recognize the hard work and selfless actions of everyone involved with Hong Kong Watch over the past five years. They never cease to impress me with their impeccable research and fearlessness in calling out, even when at great risk to their own safety, those who commit human rights abuses. I am honoured to be a patron of Hong Kong Watch and will continue to use my voice as a Canadian and as a parliamentarian to bring attention to their work in pursuit of a just and free existence for those being persecuted at the hands of tyrannical regimes.”

Another of our Patrons in Canada, Garnett Genuis MP, said:

“On this International Human Rights Day, we mark the 5th anniversary of Hong Kong Watch. I am proud to have been a patron and ally in their work to advance human rights – whether it be fighting for safe, viable immigration pathways for Hongkongers, or fighting for governments to implement meaningful sanctions on human rights violators. I look forward to continuing my support in this important work.”

Today we are delighted to announce the appointment of two new Patrons in Canada, Melissa Lantsman MP and Cathay Wagantall MP.

Melissa Lantsman, who earlier this year was appointed Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party in Canada, has served as the Member of Parliament for Thornhill since 2021, and has been a strong supporter of human rights and democracy for Hong Kong.

Cathay Wagantall was first elected to the Canadian Parliament in 2015, representing Yorkton-Melville. She has been outspoken in her support of the democracy movement in Hong Kong and has worked closely with Hong Kong Watch to advocate for a lifeboat scheme to help Hong Kongers find sanctuary in Canada.

We are also very pleased to announce the appointment of Miriam Lexmann MEP as one of our European Patrons.

Hong Kong Watch has also established an advisory group, which includes human rights experts in London, Washington, DC, Australia and Europe. We are delighted that distinguished journalist Stephen Vines, who lived in Hong Kong for 35 years, was a correspondent for several international publications and a regular presenter on Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), as well as Canadian actor and former Miss World Canada Anastasia Lin have recently joined our advisory group. Mr Vines is the author of Defying the Dragon: Hong Kong and the World’s Largest Dictatorship. In 2021 he left Hong Kong after 35 years, due to the crackdown on freedom of expression and press freedom and fears for his own safety. Ms Lin, born in China and raised in Canada, is a tireless advocate for human rights and has starred in many films depicting grave human rights violations in China. In 2015 she was banned from participating in the Miss World final held in China, being declared persona non grata by the Chinese Communist Party regime.

Benedict Rogers said:

“As we mark International Human Rights Day, and just two days ago the 75th birthday of Jimmy Lai, let us be clear that our work is needed now more than ever. As democrats in Hong Kong are arrested, prosecuted and jailed, independent media is shut down, freedom of expression suffocated, freedom of assembly and association denied, civil society dismantled, freedom of religion or belief threatened, the independence of the judiciary, concepts of a fair trial and even a semi-democratic legislature totally dismantled, the need for our voice to be loud, clear and active is greater than ever. In the past five years, we have achieved much by awakening the international community and mobilising action, but we cannot afford to wrest on our laurels. There is much, much work to do in the years ahead, and we will not shrink from the task we face and the duty we must fulfil. When we founded Hong Kong Watch we hoped the need for our work would be short and our life-span would be limited. We still hold on to that same hope, but we recognize that this is a long-term fight and we will be in it until the very end.”