Hong Kong Watch celebrates International Women’s Day

Today, Hong Kong Watch celebrates International Women’s Day by standing in solidarity with the women political prisoners of Hong Kong, and continuing to call for accountability for women’s rights violations in Hong Kong. 

Hong Kong still ranks as having the highest rate of female prisoners in the world, who represent 19.7% of the total prison population. Among these, many are political prisoners. 

They include Chow Hang-tung, the former vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. Ms Chow was also charged with “inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly” for a Tiananmen Square Massacre vigil in 2021, and has been remanded in custody since September 2021. If convicted of “inciting subversion of state power,” she faces potential 10 years’ imprisonment. Chow’s trial is expected to begin in late 2024.

In May 2023, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that she was arbitrarily detained, should be released immediately, and that her treatment is in contravention of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Hong Kong is a signatory. 

During the same month, Hong Kong Watch made a submission to and attended China's review under the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The submission focused on violations against women during the 2019 protests and under the 2020 National Security Law, and included testimonies by women human rights defenders from Hong Kong. 

At the end of the review, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women recommended that Hong Kong strengthen the legislative framework to protect women’s human rights and “refrain from over-prioritizing public order and security concerns” that may violate women’s rights and other rights and freedoms in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government has yet to implement these recommendations.

Today, we urge the Hong Kong government to release women political prisoners and comply with its women’s rights obligations, and hold perpetrators of women’s rights violations accountable. We support the #IWD2024 and #InspireInclusion for the women of Hong Kong. 

Anouk Wear, Research and Policy Advisor at Hong Kong Watch, said:

“On International Women’s Day, we stand with women around the world and the women of Hong Kong in demanding equal rights, and the enjoyment of all rights and freedoms under international law. 

Women human rights defenders in Hong Kong continue to show strength, perseverance, and courage in fighting for their rights. This is an immense inspiration to many of us who are advocating for Hong Kong from abroad.”

【國際婦女節】香港監察聲援女性政治犯 呼籲就侵犯婦女權利行為問責

香港監察今天慶祝國際婦女節，聲援香港女性政治犯，並繼續呼籲就香港侵犯婦女權利行為追究責任。

香港女性囚犯佔總監獄人口19.7%，比例仍為全球最高，當中不少為政治犯。

這些女性政治犯包括前支聯會副主席鄒幸彤。鄒因2021年六四燭光晚會被控「煽惑他人參與未經批准集結」罪，自2021年9月起還押至今。她另被控「煽動顛覆國家政權」罪，一旦罪成，恐要入獄十年。其案件預計將於2024年底開審。

2023年5月，聯合國人權理事會任意拘留問題工作小組裁定鄒幸彤遭任意拘留，應立即獲釋，而她所受到的待遇違反香港有份簽署的《公民及政治權利國際公約》。

香港監察同月出席聯合國對中國的《消除對婦女一切形式歧視公約》（CEDAW）審議，之前曾就此提交報告書。報告書重點關注2019年抗爭運動期間發生和根據2020年《國家安全法》所作的侵犯婦女權利行為，並載有香港女性人權捍衛者的證詞。

審議結束時，聯合國消除對婦女歧視委員會建議香港加強保障婦女人權的立法框架，並建議「避免過分優先考慮公共秩序和安全問題」，以免侵犯香港婦女權利及其他權利和自由。香港政府尚未實行這些建議。

今天，香港監察促請香港政府釋放女性政治犯，履行婦女權利義務，並向侵犯婦女權利肇事者追究責任。我們支持#IWD2024，並支持香港女性#InspireInclusion（啟發包容）。

香港監察研究及政策顧問華穆清（Anouk Wear）表示：

「時值國際婦女節，我們與全球婦女及香港婦女站在同一陣線，要求平等權利，並享有國際法所規定的所有權利和自由。

香港女性人權捍衛者在爭取權利時持續展現力量、毅力和勇氣。對一眾在海外為香港倡議的人來說，這是莫大鼓舞。」