Hong Kong Watch responds to passage of Article 23 in European Parliament

Yesterday, following the passage of the Safeguarding National Security Bill which is implemented under Article 23 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong and colloquially referred to as ‘Article 23’, Hong Kong Watch addressed Members of the European Parliament (MEP), human rights and civil society organisations and advocates, Hong Kongers and other Chinese dissidents in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Hong Kong Watch Research and Policy Advisor Megan Khoo spoke on a panel alongside Zhou Fengsuo, President of Humanitarian China and former student leader during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Sarah Brooks, China Director of Amnesty International, Iverson Ng, Junior Research Fellow at Eur-Asian BorderLab and Simon Cheng, founder of Hong Kongers in Britain. The panel was moderated by Thijs Reuten MEP (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Netherlands), Anna Fotyga MEP (European Conservatives and Reformists Group, Poland) and Isabel Santos MEP (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Portugal).

The panel opened with Mr Zhou and Ms Brooks providing an overview of the history of the People’s Republic of China’s extensive human rights violations dating back to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. Mr Ng then spoke about the negative effects of the Hong Kong National Security Law, Ms Khoo outlined the dangers of the passage of Article 23, and Mr Cheng shared his personal experience being targeted by the Hong Kong authorities while leading the largest Hong Kong grassroots organisation in the UK, particularly after being issued an arrest warrant with HK$1 million bounty in December 2023.

Speaking to the implications of the passage of Article 23, Ms Khoo said, “When the Hong Kong authorities attempted to introduce Article 23 in 2003, more than 500,000 Hong Kongers protested with the plans abandoned. Today, the Hong Kong people do not have a choice nor the right to protest without facing serious repercussions. We expect such repercussions to only worsen under Article 23 legislation, with specific concern to new restrictions which could ban an arrestee from speaking to a lawyer of their choice, extend detention without charge for up to seven days, threaten freedom of religion or belief, and apply more severe penalties for activists abroad. Article 23 will also likely lead to a dramatic increase in the number of political prisoners in Hong Kong.”

Ms Khoo called on MEPs to place pressure on the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China to repeal the National Security Law, the Hong Kong government to cease prosecution of individuals charged with alleged offences, and both Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to ensure legislation in Hong Kong is legal, legitimate, proportional and in alignment with international human rights laws and standards. 

Specifically, Ms Khoo urged MEPs to work with their respective EU member states and EU Institutions to seriously and swiftly consider introducing lifeboat schemes for Hong Kongers to enable them to flee from heightened repression, implement targeted sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, enact mechanisms to combat transnational repression, and review Hong Kong’s special status in international fora including the status of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the EU. 

Prior to the panel, Hong Kong Watch held meetings with the European External Action Service, European Parliament staffers and other non-profit organisations to discuss how to work together to respond most effectively to the passage of Article 23, as well as lifeboat schemes for Hong Kongers in the EU and the trial of British citizen Jimmy Lai.

香港監察在歐洲議會發言回應香港通過23條立法 促歐盟推出救生艇並制裁李家超

昨天，香港立法會三讀通過《維護國家安全條例草案》，完成《基本法》第23條立法。香港監察其後在布魯塞爾歐洲議會發言，與會者有歐洲議會議員、人權及民間組織及倡議者、香港人及其他中國異見人士。

香港監察研究及政策顧問Megan Khoo在研討會上發言，其他講者為「六四」學生領袖、人道中國（Humanitarian China）主席周鋒鎖、國際特赦組織中國區主任Sarah Brooks、Eur-Asian Border Lab初級研究員Iverson Ng和英國港僑協會（Hongkongers in Britain）創辦人鄭文傑。這場討論由歐洲議會議員Thijs Reuten MEP（社會主義者和民主人士進步聯盟、荷蘭）、Anna Fotyga MEP（歐洲保守派和改革主義者黨、波蘭）和Isabel Santos MEP（社會主義者和民主人士進步聯盟、葡萄牙）主持。

Khoo呼籲歐洲議會議員向中華人民共和國全國人民代表大會施壓，要求廢除《國家安全法》；向香港政府施壓，要求停止起訴被控干犯相關法律的人士；向中港當局施壓，要求確保香港立法行動合法、合理、合乎比例，符合國際人權法律和準則。

Khoo特別促請歐洲議會議員與所屬歐盟成員國和歐盟機構合作，認真而迅速考慮為香港人推出救生艇計劃，讓他們能夠逃離更嚴厲的鎮壓；點名制裁香港特首李家超；制訂機制打擊跨國鎮壓；檢視香港在國際論壇上的特殊地位，包括香港駐歐盟經濟貿易辦事處的地位。

香港監察在會前與歐洲對外事務部、歐洲議會工作人員及其他非牟利組織會面，討論如何聯手應對港府通過23條立法、為香港人推出歐盟救生艇計劃，以及英國公民黎智英的案件。