Hong Kong Watch Canada hosts roundtable on transnational repression and digital rights in Canadian Parliament

Hong Kong Watch Canada hosted a roundtable on transnational repression and digital rights in the Canadian Parliament on 6 November, where we launched a new report on digital transnational repression against Hong Kongers around the world. The event was attended by members of the think tank community, academics, parliamentarians, and Hong Kong community members.

The event was jointly chaired and hosted by Hong Kong Watch Patrons Garnett Genuis MP, Shadow Minister for International Development, and Senator Leo Housakos, Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

The panel consisted of Hong Kong Watch Chair of Trustees Aileen Calverley, Policy Advisor Katherine Leung, and Hong Kong activist Finn Lau. The topics of discussion included transnational repression in the digital space as it impacts Hong Kongers in Canada, especially in the face of the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, and Mr. Lau’s personal experiences with transnational repression.

Hong Kong Watch presented a legislative solution for the Canadian Parliament to combat transnational repression perpetrated by foreign states in Canada that includes digital transnational repression and addresses the situation faced by the Hong Kong community in Canada, that:

  1. Clearly defines transnational repression: by establishing a standardized, legal definition rather than relying on internal departmental definitions.

  2. Imposes a deterrent: by empowering the Government of Canada to implement property- and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign individuals and entities engaging in transnational repression, making it costly to threaten or silence political participation.

  3. Develops a national strategy: by mandating Global Affairs Canada to create and periodically review a strategy addressing transnational repression, focusing on raising costs for perpetrators and protecting targeted groups.

  4. Trains government personnel: by ensuring relevant employees and law enforcement are equipped to recognize and respond to transnational repression, and directing intelligence agencies to prioritize identifying perpetrators within Canada.

The roundtable was attended by the following parliamentarians:

Garnett Genuis MP

Senator Leo Housakos

James Bezan MP

The office of Tom Kmiec MP

The office of Senator Don Plett

The office of Michael Cooper MP

You can read the full report here and the Canadian version of the executive summary here.

This project is funded by a grant from the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD).

加拿大香港監察在加拿大國會舉辦跨國鎮壓暨數碼權利圓桌討論會

11月6日，加拿大香港監察在加拿大國會舉辦跨國鎮壓暨數碼權利圓桌討論會，同時發布有關數碼跨國鎮壓世界各地香港人的新報告。活動有智庫界人士、學者、國會議員和港人社區成員出席。

這場討論會由兩位香港監察贊助人──加拿大影子國際發展部長、國會議員Garnett Genuis MP和加拿大參議院外交事務及國際貿易委員會委員、參議員Senator Leo Housakos共同主持。

討論講者有香港監察信託董事會主席Aileen Calverley、香港監察加拿大政策顧問Katherine Leung和香港社運人士劉祖廸。討論主題包括在數碼空間施行跨國鎮壓對在加港人的影響，尤其是在《國家安全法》和《維護國家安全條例》當前，以及劉祖廸個人受到跨國鎮壓的經歷。

香港監察向加拿大國會提出打擊外國在加拿大境內施行跨國鎮壓的立法解決方案，當中包括數碼跨國鎮壓，亦有處理加拿大港人社區面對的處境：

  1. 清楚定義跨國鎮壓：設立標準統一的法律定義，而非依賴部門內部定義。

  2. 施加阻嚇力：授權加拿大政府對參與跨國鎮壓的外國人士和實體施行財產及簽證封鎖制裁，令肇事者就威脅或壓制政治參與付上高昂代價。

  3. 制訂國家策略：授權加拿大環球事務部制訂並定期檢討應對跨國鎮壓的策略，重點關注提高肇事者的成本和保護受針對群體。

  4. 培訓政府人員：確保相關僱員和執法機關有能力辨識並回應跨國鎮壓，並指示情報機構優先識別加拿大境內的肇事者。

圓桌討論會有下列國會議員出席：

Garnett Genuis MP

Senator Leo Housakos

James Bezan MP

Tom Kmiec MP辦事處

Senator Don Plett辦事處

Michael Cooper MP辦事處

請在此處閱覽報告全文，另在此處閱覽加拿大版摘要。

這個項目由臺灣民主基金會（TFD）資助。

Reports, NewsFrances BellCanada, event, Event, Reports