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Joint Statement from Hong Kong Groups on the Hong Kong National Security arrest warrants and bounties

We, the undersigned, representing Hong Kong civil society and human rights organisations across the world, condemn the Hong Kong National Security arrest warrants and bounties announced on 14 December 2023.

These Hong Kong National Security Police issued arrest warrants and bounties for five Hong Kong pro-democracy activists living overseas, are further evidence that this draconian law is being used extraterritorially and retrospectively to silence pro-democracy voices and intimidate the Hong Kong community overseas.

In particular, we condemn the targeting of peaceful pro-democracy activists Joey Siu, Frances Hui, and Simon Cheng.

We continue to condemn the targeting of Nathan Law, Dennis Kwok, Ted Hui, Kevin Yam, Anna Kwok, Finn Lau, Elmer Yuen, and Christopher Mung, and the bounties issued in their names and urge democratic countries to introduce measures to protect these individuals and the Hong Kong community as a whole from transnational repression at the hands of the People’s Republic of China.

This is the latest escalation in the National Security Law, which was imposed by Beijing in 2020 and has been condemned by many governments and multiple UN Committees. So far, 260 people have been arrested under the National Security Law.

This is also the latest escalation in transnational repression against Hong Kongers, many of whom have faced attacks and harassment from the Chinese Communist Party and its agents, across various jurisdictions.

We urge the governments of the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and European Union countries, to introduce measures to protect the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong activists in exile, particularly those who have been granted asylum and faced past threats from Beijing.

We urge these governments, and in particular the governments of the United Kingdom and the United States of America where these five reside, to continue to reiterate that the Hong Kong National Security Law does not apply in their jurisdictions, and condemn the latest arrest warrants and bounties and reaffirm that they are not valid in their jurisdictions.

We urge these governments, and others, to raise the topic of Hong Kong in their recommendations to China at the UN Universal Periodic Review, which will take place on 23 January 2024.

Finally, we urge governments to suspend the remaining extradition treaties that exist between democracies and the Hong Kong and Chinese Governments and work towards coordinating an INTERPOL early warning system to protect Hong Kongers and other dissidents abroad. Hong Kong activists in exile must be protected in their peaceful fight for basic human rights, freedoms and democracy.

 

Signatories (in alphabetical order)

Action Free Hong Kong Montreal

AfricaHongKongFrance (AHKF)

Alberta Uyghur Association

Amnesty International UK

Association of Hong Kongers in Western Australia

Australia Hong Kong Link

Australia Capital Hong Kong Association

Australian Uyghur Association

Blossom Community HK CIC 大樹下合作社

Britons in Hong Kong

Campaign For Uyghurs

Canadian Friends of Hong Kong

Center For Uyghur Studies

Chicago Solidarity with Hong Kong 芝援香港

China Aid Association

Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)

Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation

Democracy for Hong Kong (D4HK)

DC4HK (Washingtonians supporting Hong Kong)

Freedom House

Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.

Finnish Hongkongers

Free Tibet

Freiheit für Hongkong e.V.

Germany Stands with Hong Kong

Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities

Halifax-Hong Kong Link

Hackney Chinese Community Services (HCCS)

HearthTalk UK

HKersUnited

Hong Kong Aid 港援

Hong Kong Assistance and Resettlement Community (HKARC)

Hong Kong Centre for Human Rights

Hong Kong Committee in Norway

Hong Kong Democracy Council

Hong Kong Forum, Los Angeles

Hong Kong International Alliance Brisbane (HKIA Brisbane)

Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor

Hong Kong Outlanders in Taiwan

Hong Kong Professional Network

Hong Kong Revolution Power

Hong Kong Watch

Hong Kong in Chester

Hongkonger in Deutschland e.V.

Hongkongers in Britain 英國港僑協會

HongKongers in Leeds

Human Rights Foundation

Human Rights in China

Humanitarian China

International Campaign for Tibet

Japan Hong Kong Democracy Alliance

June 4 Sparks

Lady Liberty Hong Kong

Le Comité pour la Liberté à Hong-Kong

Manchester Stands With Hong Kong
New Yorkers Supporting Hong Kong

NGO DEI

Northern California Hong Kong Club

Nottingham Stands with Hong Kong

Philly4HK

Power to Hongkongers

Safeguard DefendersSalford HongKongers

Scottish Hongkongers

Southampton Hongkongers

Students For Hong Kong

Stop Uyghur Genocide

Texans Supporting Hong Kong - TX4HK

The 29 Principles

The Dissident Project

The Hong Kong Scots

Tibet Solidarity

Tibetan Community in Britain

Tibet Initiative Deutschland

Torontonian HongKongers Action Group

Trafford Hongkongers CIC

UK Uyghur Community

US Hongkongers Club

Uyghur Human Rights Project

Victoria HongKongers Association (Australia) 澳洲維港

We the Hongkongers

World Uyghur Congress