Hong Kong Watch hosts Annual Dinner in British Parliament

On 23 April, Hong Kong Watch’s Annual Dinner was held in the British Parliament, with our Patron Alistair Carmichael MP as our host and former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind as our keynote speaker.

The event was attended by close to 50 guests, including Hong Kong Watch’s Patrons Sir Geoffrey Nice, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Fiona Bruce MP, Alistair Carmichael MP, Catherine West MP, UK Parliamentarians Lord Leong, Tim Loughton MP, Paul Scully MP, Bob Seely MP, Jim Shannon MP, diplomats from the EU, Canada, the US, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, supporters and friends of Hong Kong. 

The dinner was opened by welcoming remarks from Hong Kong Watch’s Patron and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Hong Kong, Alistair Carmichael MP and the outgoing Chair of Trustees Gray Sergeant.

Benedict Rogers, co-founder and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch, provided a report on our activities, success and impact over the past year. Aileen Calverley, co-founder and new Chair of Trustees, reviewed our finances and discussed the challenges we face. They both extended the gratitude to Parliamentarians and supporters who have stood by us amidst the deterioration of the situation in Hong Kong.

Guests also heard from two other Patrons of Hong Kong Watch, Catherine West MP and Fiona Bruce MP. Catherine West MP gave a passionate speech in which she thanked Benedict Rogers and the Hong Kong Watch team for the work they do, and vowed that politicians from all parties would continue to defend the rights of Hong Kongers as well as other human rights concerns across the world. 

As the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Fiona Bruce MP pointed to the rapid deterioration of religious freedom in Hong Kong, and cited Hong Kong Watch’s latest report Sell Out My Soul: The Impending Threats to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Hong Kong.

Our keynote speaker, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a Patron of Hong Kong Watch, oversaw the final preparations for the handover of Hong Kong in 1997 as Foreign Secretary. Sir Malcolm noted that the rise of China on the world stage posed many strategic challenges for the UK and its allies, and pointed to the deterioration of Hong Kong’s freedoms as a sober warning to other democracies in East Asia, particularly Taiwan. 

During the dinner, there was a raffle of books, artwork and other items donated by our supporters and the HongKonger Community Centre, including signed copies of The Hong Kong Diaries by the last Governor of Hong Kong, Lord Patten of Barnes, paintings, prints, milk tea and a gift card.

We extend our sincerest gratitude to all friends of Hong Kong who have supported our work in speaking out for human rights, freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

香港監察假英國國會舉辦週年晚宴  英議員、多國外交官及支持者出席盛會

香港監察於4月23日在英國國會舉辦週年晚宴。晚宴由香港監察贊助人甘文康（Alistair Carmichael MP）主持，並請來前英國外交大臣聶偉敬爵士（Sir Malcolm Rifkind）擔任主講嘉賓。

今次盛會招待了近50名來賓，包括多名香港監察贊助人（Sir Geoffrey Nice、Sir Malcolm Rifkind、Fiona Bruce MP、Alistair Carmichael MP、Catherine West MP）、英國國會議員（Lord Leong、Tim Loughton MP、Paul Scully MP、Bob Seely MP、Jim Shannon MP）、來自歐盟、加拿大、美國、日本、韓國和臺灣的外交官、支持者及其他香港朋友。

香港監察贊助人、英國國會跨黨派香港小組主席甘文康和香港監察卸任信託董事會主席Gray Sergeant在晚宴開端作歡迎致辭。

香港監察共同創辦人兼行政總監羅傑斯（Benedict Rogers）匯報了香港監察過去一年的動向、成就和影響。香港監察共同創辦人兼新任信託董事會主席Aileen Calverley審視了香港監察的財政狀況和未來挑戰。兩人皆感謝在香港局勢惡化時支持我們的國會議員和支持者。

另外兩位香港監察贊助人Catherine West MP和Fiona Bruce MP亦有致辭。Catherine West MP熱烈感謝羅傑斯和香港監察團隊的工作，並誓言各黨從政者將繼續捍衛香港人的權利及世界上其他人權問題。Fiona Bruce MP身為英國首相宗教或信仰自由特使，特別引用香港監察新報告《出賣我靈：香港宗教或信仰自由即將面臨的威脅》，指出香港迅速惡化的宗教自由。

晚宴主講嘉賓聶偉敬爵士1997年以英國外相身分，監督香港主權移交的最後準備工作。聶偉敬爵士提到中國在世界舞台上崛起向英國及其盟國帶來許多策略上的挑戰，並指出香港自由倒退是對東亞的其他民主國家──特別是台灣──的嚴肅警告。晚宴期間亦有舉行幸運抽獎，獎品包括書籍、藝術品，以及其他由香港監察支持者和香港人社區中心捐贈的禮品。當中有由前港督彭定康勳爵（Lord Patten of Barnes）親筆簽名的著作《The Hong Kong Diaries》、油畫、版畫、奶茶和購物卡。

香港監察衷心感謝各位香港朋友一直與我們同行，支持我們為香港人權、自由與法治發聲。