Hong Kong Watch calls for sanctions and measures against transnational repression in response to the UK’s latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong

Today, the UK government published its latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong, covering 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2024. The report concludes that “China remains in a state of non-compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration” and notes that “Hong Kong’s national security infrastructure continues to impinge on the rights and freedoms of individuals in Hong Kong and overseas.” Hong Kong Watch welcomes the UK government’s acknowledgement of these realities, following our continued advocacy to highlight the decline of human rights in Hong Kong.

In the report, Foreign Secretary David Lammy cites the “politically motivated prosecution” of British citizen Jimmy Lai, the sentencing of 45 pro-democracy activists and legislators, the case of Stand News, and other implementations of the National Security Law (NSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO).

The report observes multiple incidents that mark the Hong Kong government’s attempt to curtail the city’s fundamental freedoms, including press freedom and freedom of information. It cites the cases of systematic harassment of journalists, books being removed from Hong Kong’s public libraries on national security grounds, and journalists being denied entry to Hong Kong.

In particular, the Foreign Secretary recognises the latest arrest warrants and bounties targeting overseas Hong Kongers as acts of transnational repression intended to silence and intimidate the Hong Kong diaspora. He emphasises that the UK government “will not tolerate any attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm their critics overseas” and calls on the Hong Kong government to cease the targeting of individuals standing up for democracy and freedom.

We welcome the UK government’s commitment to “hold China to its legally binding obligations under the Joint Declaration”, and the pledge to “continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, strengthening the thick web of connections between our societies and remaining steadfast in commitment to the BN(O) visa route.”

Lord Alton of Liverpool, Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights and Patron of Hong Kong Watch, said:

“I welcome this report which again provides a comprehensive review of the severe dismantling of Hong Kong’s fundamental freedoms, and the continued deterioration in its human rights environment. I especially welcome the specific focus on transnational repression as shown by the cases of bounties targeting Hong Kong activists in the UK. Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights is currently conducting a full-scale Inquiry into transnational repression. The evidence against the Chinese Communist Party and its agents is truly shocking.

It is reassuring that the Foreign Secretary highlighted his commitment to the British National (Overseas) visa route and the Hong Kong community in the UK. The UK government must uphold this commitment by expanding the visa scheme for those born before the 1997 handover with at least one BNO-status parent, and protecting Hong Kongers from the alarming threat of transnational repression.

A year on since the introduction of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the UK government should recognise applications of Article 23 as breaches of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. I ask the Foreign Secretary to swiftly implement consequences to these actions, by imposing long-overdue sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee.”

英國最新《香港半年報告》批港府國安基建持續侵犯人權自由 香港監察呼籲英政府擴大BNO計劃、打擊跨國鎮壓、制裁李家超

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7月1日至12月31日。報告在總結中指出「中國仍然持續不遵守《中英聯合聲明》」，以及「香港的國家安全基礎設施繼續侵犯香港及海外人士的權利和自由」。香港監察歡迎英國政府經我們持續不斷倡議，強調香港人權狀況惡化後，承認這些事實。

英國國會人權聯合委員會主席、香港監察贊助人奧爾頓勳爵（Lord Alton of Liverpool）表示：

「我歡迎這份報告再次全面地審議香港基本自由遭受嚴重破壞及人權狀況持續惡化的情況。我特別歡迎報告聚焦跨國鎮壓，引用身在英國的香港社運人士被港府懸紅通緝一例。英國國會人權聯合委員會目前正就跨國鎮壓展開全面調查，指證中共及其代理人的證據確實令人震驚。

令人安心的是，外交大臣在報告中強調他對英國國民（海外）簽證和在英港人社群的承諾。英國政府務必信守這項承諾，為1997年主權移交前出生、父母其中一方持有BNO身分的港人擴大簽證計劃，並保護在英港人免受令人恐慌的跨國鎮壓威脅。

適逢《維護國家安全條例》實施一年，英國政府應該承認任何應用23條的行為均屬違反《中英聯合聲明》。我促請外相迅速對這些行為施加後果，制裁早該受制裁的香港行政長官李家超。」