Hong Kong Watch calls for UK to sanction Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee in response to latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong

Today, the UK government published its latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong, covering 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2024. The report “underscores a continued drift away from the commitments set out in the Joint Declaration” and “suggests that the continued focus on any perceived threat to national security is undermining Hong Kong’s international reputation”. Hong Kong Watch welcomes the UK government’s acknowledgement of these realities, following our work to highlight the decline of human rights in Hong Kong.

In the report, Foreign Secretary David Lammy highlights the Hong Kong government’s application of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) which was enacted in March 2024, including at least 13 arrests and 3 charges. The report also notes that the Hong Kong government targeted six pro-democracy activists in the UK under provisions in the SNSO during the reporting period.

The Foreign Secretary calls for the Hong Kong government to cease a number of politically-motivated prosecutions, including of British citizen Jimmy Lai, who remains on trial in Hong Kong. The report also cites how a Reporters Without Borders (RSF) staffer who planned to observe Mr Lai’s trial was denied entry to Hong Kong. With regards to other political prisoners, the Foreign Secretary mentions the re-arrest of Chow Hang-tung and the arrest of five others for posting comments online to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, as well as the verdict for 16 of the 47 democrats in Hong Kong’s largest national security trial to date.

Overall, the report observes numerous incidents which speak to the Hong Kong government’s ongoing effort to dismantle basic civil and political liberties in Hong Kong. These include efforts to dismantle freedom of expression, as the Hong Kong government applied an interim injunction to prohibit “unlawful” acts related to the pro-democracy anthem ‘Glory to Hong Kong’. 

We welcome the Foreign Secretary’s commitment “to raise concerns where we believe Hong Kong’s future risks being undermined, to support the interests of Hong Kong people, their autonomy, their rights, and their freedoms; and to provide a warm welcome and continued protection to all members of the Hong Kong community who have made the UK their home”.

Lord Alton of Liverpool, a Patron of Hong Kong Watch, said:

“As a Patron of Hong Kong Watch, I welcome this report which again provides a robust review of the significant deterioration in the human rights environment in Hong Kong, especially following the passage of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) in March this year.

It is reassuring that in his first six-monthly report on Hong Kong as Foreign Secretary, David Lammy specifically detailed the latest developments in the trial of British citizen Jimmy Lai and recommended ceasing prosecution against him. The Foreign Secretary should take a further step and urgently respond to Sebastien Lai’s meeting request, to show the new government’s unwavering support for the immediate and unconditional release of Jimmy Lai as he remains on trial in Hong Kong.

Finally, given that there have been around 13 arrests and 3 charges made under the SNSO, the UK government should publicly recognise any applications of Article 23 to be outright breaches of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and impose long overdue sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee. The government should also expand the British National (Overseas) visa scheme for those Hong Kongers who were born before the 1997 handover with at least one BNO-status parent to help those who wish to flee from the increasingly dire situation in the city.”

英國最新《香港半年報告》指港府聚焦國安威脅損香港國際聲譽 香港監察呼籲英政府制裁李家超、擴大BNO計劃

英國政府今天發表最新一份《香港半年報告》，報告期涵蓋2024年1月1日至6月30日。報告「強調（香港）持續偏離《中英聯合聲明》所述承諾」，並「表明（港府）不斷針對任何被視為危害國家安全的威脅，正損害香港國際聲譽」。香港監察歡迎英國政府經我們致力強調香港人權狀況惡化後，承認這些事實。

香港監察贊助人奧爾頓勳爵（Lord Alton of Liverpool）表示：

「身為香港監察贊助人，我歡迎這份報告再次強而有力地審議香港人權狀況顯著惡化的情況，尤其是在今年三月通過《維護國家安全條例》（俗稱『23條』）後。

令人安心的是，林德偉（David Lammy）在擔任外交大臣後的首份香港半年報告中，特別詳述英國公民黎智英審訊的最新進展，並建議停止檢控他。外相應採取進一步行動，緊急回應（黎智英兒子）黎崇恩的會面要求，藉以表明新政府堅定支持立即無條件釋放仍在香港受審的黎智英。

最後，有見已有約13人因23條被捕、3人被落案起訴，英國政府應公開確認任何應用23條的行為均屬公然違反《中英聯合聲明》，並制裁早該受制裁的香港行政長官李家超。政府亦應為1997年主權移交前出生、父母其中一方持有BNO身分的港人擴大英國國民（海外）簽證計劃，幫助希望逃離香港日趨嚴峻局勢的人。」