Hong Kong Watch testifies at CECC hearing in US Congress on human rights in China
Today, Hong Kong Watch’s co-founder and CEO Benedict Rogers spoke at a US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) hearing on The PRC’s Universal Periodic Review and the Real State of Human Rights in China. The hearing was chaired by CECC Chair Representative Chris Smith, with CECC Co-Chair Senator Jeff Merkley and several Commissioners participating.
The hearing follows China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations, which took place on 23 January 2024 in Geneva.
Hong Kong Watch made three submissions to the UN UPR of China, focusing on human rights violations related to the 2019 pro-democracy protests, the Beijing-imposed National Security Law, and political prisoners, including Jimmy Lai. The full submissions are available here.
At the UN UPR, many UN Member States made critical recommendations for China to improve its human rights, including 18 Recommendations on Hong Kong. These recommendations highlighted the human rights violations under the National Security Law, the violations against journalists and human rights defenders, and more. The full list and Hong Kong Watch’s response are available here.
However, despite these strong recommendations, as well as others in support of Uyghurs, Tibetans, and other human rights defenders, the UN UPR also featured many recommendations that were in support of Beijing.
Hence, the CECC chose to “hold a hearing to examine the issues raised at the UPR and the PRC’s response.” The hearing focused on “the submissions and recommendations to the UPR process by human rights defenders and civil society which amplify the voices of Chinese citizens, advocates, and victims of PRC repression and provide a fuller picture of human rights conditions in China.”
Benedict Rogers spoke alongside Rana Siu Inboden, Emile Dirks, Sophie Luo, and Rushan Abbas. In his statement Mr Rogers highlighted the violations of freedom of religion or belief across China, and human rights violations in Hong Kong, particularly the current trial and imprisonment of Jimmy Lai. He urged the United States and others in the international community to call for the “immediate and unconditional” release of Jimmy Lai, and highlighted the statement yesterday by the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, who has expressed concern that the evidence of a key prosecution witness against Mr Lai has been obtained through torture. Mr Rogers’ full written statement is available here.
You can watch the full hearing here.
Benedict Rogers, co-founder and CEO of Hong Kong Watch, said:
“We are grateful to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China for organising this timely and very important hearing to highlight the human rights violations in China. Whilst the UN UPR is an important tool, today’s hearing fills many gaps and allows experts and human rights defenders to add critical details and insights which were not covered in Geneva.
We urge the US and its allies to value the insights and recommendations raised in today’s hearing, as well as the UN UPR, by taking concrete action that follows their human rights statements. They must show that they can affirm their values of rights and freedom through actions that hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable.”
香港監察出席美國CECC聽證會 就香港侵犯人權行為作證
香港監察共同創辦人兼行政總監羅傑斯（Benedict Rogers）今天在美國國會及行政當局中國委員會（Congressional-Executive Commission on China，簡稱CECC）「中國普遍定期審議與中國真實人權狀況」聽證會上作證。聽證會由委員會主席、眾議員Chris Smith主持，與會者包括委員會聯席主席、參議員Jeff Merkley及多名委員。
這場聽證會跟進2024年1月23日在日內瓦舉行的聯合國對中國普遍定期審議（UPR）。
香港監察早前就上述普遍定期審議提交三份聯合報告書。報告書重點關注涉及2019年抗爭、《國家安全法》、黎智英等政治犯的侵犯人權行為。完整報告書請見此處。
多個聯合國成員國在普遍定期審議上就改善中國人權提出重要建議，當中包括針對香港情況的18項建議。這些建議強調根據《國安法》侵犯人權、侵害記者和人權捍衛者權利等行為。完整建議清單和香港監察回應請見此處。
不過，雖然有成員國提出這些強烈建議，以及支持維吾爾人、藏人及其他人權捍衛者的建議，但會上亦有國家提出許多支持北京的建議。委員會因而舉行聽證會以正視聽。
羅傑斯與Rana Siu Inboden、Emile Dirks、Sophie Luo、Rushan Abbas同在會上發言。羅傑斯作證時強調中國各地侵害宗教或信仰自由行為，以及香港侵犯人權行為，尤其是黎智英現正受審被囚一事。他促請美國及國際社會其他國家呼籲「立即無條件」釋放黎智英，並援引聯合國酷刑特別報告員Alice Jill Edwards昨天發表的聲明，特別報告員就黎智英案中關鍵控方證人疑被嚴刑逼供表達關注。羅傑斯的書面證詞全文請見此處。
請在此處觀看完整聽證會。
香港監察共同創辦人兼行政總監羅傑斯表示：
「我們感謝美國國會及行政當局中國委員會籌辦這場聽證會，聽證會提請關注中國侵犯人權行為，來得及時且非常重要。聯合國普遍定期審議是重要工具，但今天的聽證會填補了不少空白，讓專家和人權捍衛者能夠補充日內瓦會上未有涵蓋的重要細節和見解。
我們促請美國及其盟友重視今天聽證會及聯合國普遍定期審議上提出的見解和建議，根據其人權聲明採取具體行動。他們必須展示，他們能夠透過追究中國共產黨責任的行動，肯定自身權利和自由價值。」