Amnesty International has formally re-opened its office in Hong Kong, now “in exile,” more than three years after closing down operations in the city due to fears of the draconian national security laws. The new initiative comes in the wake of the Chinese government’s continued grip on Hong Kong, particularly following the comprehensive pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Since the protests, which at times were violent, authorities have increased repression of political dissent, arresting, jailing, or exiling numerous activists, opposition leaders, and journalists. In a statement released publicly on Tuesday, Amnesty announced the establishment of Amnesty International Hong Kong Overseas (AIHKO), which will be led by Hong Kong activists in various countries, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The new office is located in Switzerland.
Executive director Chi-man Luk of AIHKO, Amnesty’s Hong Kong office, described the opening as “a new chapter” in its ongoing commitment to human rights in Hong Kong and to its support for the Hong Kong diaspora. In 2021, the organization closed its two Hong Kong offices, citing the national security law as making it nearly impossible for rights groups to operate freely.
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities maintain that the national security law—proscribing severe punishment for subversion, foreign collusion, and terrorism—has restored stability since the 2019 unrest. Authorities assert that the law finds a balance between security and the safeguarding of residents’ rights and freedoms.
Amnesty’s Secretary-General Agnes Callamard emphasized that the new section is an unshakable determination to defend human rights regardless of the challenges. Past Hong Kong legislator Fernando Cheung, the new board member, referred to priorities including increasing awareness around “prisoners of conscience” and issues surrounding transnational repression.
Cheung further noted that the situation in Hong Kong regarding human rights continues to deteriorate, referencing the recent imprisonment of a social worker who was a participant in a police-protestor clash in 2019. Through April, 322 individuals have been arrested and convicted by authorities and 163 individuals have been convicted under two security laws—both Beijing-imposed and locally enacted last year. Foreign pro-democracy activists also had rewards offered for 19 of them by the police.
In a gesture of the changing political times, members of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party recently decided to dissolve the party, once a dominant force in the opposition movement in the city.
