Categories
公告 新聞稿

ACHK於國會國際人權小組委員會作證

ACHK顧問Ai-Men Lau在五月四日(星期二)為國際人權小組委員會作證。影片記錄在此連結:

當日的聽證會錄影已經在國會網站上載 here.

A transcript of Ai-Men’s testimony is reproduced below

Bonsoir, je m’appelle Ai-Men Lau. (I want to extend my thanks for the opportunity to testify today.) Je vous remercie de m’avoir invité à témoigner aujourd’hui. I’d also like to thank the technical and translation team for all their hard work.

From the 2019 peaceful protest movement till today, Hong Kong’s autonomy has been decimated by the Chinese Communist Party and the Hong Kong government. This has continued with impunity and the inaction has only emboldened the Chinese regime. 

The Hong Kong Government uses the National Security Law to stamp out street protests, silence dissenting voices, gut the city’s legislature, decimate political opposition, and weaponize COVID-19 health measures to restrict movement, mobility and gatherings, effectively bringing the entire movement to its knees. 

Without an opposition, Beijing has implemented sweeping institutional changes to ensure complete control over the city’s governance, including:

  • Stripping Hong Kong of its electoral autonomy
  • Requiring pledges of allegiance in public sectors
  • Firing teachers for their political views
  • Delegitimizing university student unions 
  • Targeting trade unions and religious groups
  • Raiding and targeting pro-democractic “yellow businesses”
  • Requiring professional bodies like the HK Bar Association to adhere to its “patriotic statutory duties” 
  • Requiring internet service providers to ban specific websites under the NSL

Beijing’s political imperative has now seeped into society and private life.

Living in fear and uncertainty, pro-democracy Hong Kongers are struggling to see a brighter future. Two years ago, Hong Kongers were able to march the streets to voice their concerns. Today they can be arrested for simply holding up blank pieces of paper in protest. 

We have witnessed countless coordinated attacks by police officers and triads on regular civilians, arbitrary arrest of medics and reporters, protestors were beaten, raped, tortured and denied due process. Co-organizers have gone missing for months on end and many more have fled to Taiwan via boat. As of February 28 this year, there are 10,242 arrests and 2,506 prosecutions related to the protests. Yet after two years of perpetrating violent state and police suppression, few, if any police officers, triad members, or government officials have been held accountable. 

Over 60% of youths in Hong Kong are hoping to leave the city. In a city-wide survey conducted by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, 1 in 5 Hong Kongers are seeking to flee the city and 65% are not confident about Hong Kong’s political future.

Even before the passage of the National Security Law, many Hong Kongers who hold foreign passports or have the financial resources have fled the city in fear of retaliation for their involvement in the protest movement, but now, even that may be at risk.

The Hong Kong government has passed a law that can bar people from leaving or entering, transforming Hong Kong into an open air prison. This law will come into effect August 1st, meaning we have a limited window of time  to act.

We have three recommendations for the committee to consider: 

  1. First, we have previously submitted recommendations to CIMM which we will be also submitting to this committee. Canada should create a dedicated asylum pathway for those fleeing prosecution or persecution, along with other immigration policy changes such as modifying private sponsorship and family reunification that enables extended family members to resettle here. Canada should also plan to support the 300K Canadians and their families who need to renew permanent residence status or make applications. We urge you to consider the travel visa restrictions that have barred many from entering Canada, whether to seek asylum or to resettle permanently. 
  2. Second, even though Hong Kongers are hoping to leave the city, we know that many more cannot leave. This is why we need to hold Hong Kong and Chinese officials accountable. Canada should invoke the Justice for the Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, placing targeted sanctions against the Hong Kong government, Hong Kong Police Force, and PRC officials who are complicit in perpetrating human rights violations. We must also ensure that sanctions are enforceable by the Government of Canada. 
  3. Finally, we also urge Canada to address foreign-state harassment operations , as dissidents’ families are also targeted by authorities in Hong Kong and China. 

Merci/Thank you again for inviting me. I am happy to take your questions.

Categories
公告 新聞稿

ACHK向國際人權小組委員會遞交建議書

渥太華,安省(五月四號,二零二一年)– ACHK向國際人權小組委員會遞交建議書。

2019-2020年香港民主運動摘要及香港於國安法下的影響

向國際人權小組委員會遞交的報告

筆者:
ACHK
ACHK 政府關係小組
ACHK 支援組

Categories
公告 新聞稿

ACHK向公民及移民常設委員會遞交建議書

渥太華,安省(二月一號,二零二一年)– ACHK向公民及移民常設委員會遞交建議書。

港人移民及難民政策建議書
向公民及移民常設委員會遞交的報告

筆者:
ACHK
ACHK 政府關係小組
ACHK 研究小組
Robert Falconer,顧問

Categories
公告 新聞稿

有關50+名民主派成員因初選被捕聲明

OTTAWA, ON (January 6, 2021) – The arrests of over 50 democracy activists in Hong Kong today demonstrates Beijing’s determination to destroy any remnants of Hong Kong’s autonomy. The message is clear: Beijing will not tolerate one ounce of dissent.

Hong Kong rang in 2021 with over 50 Hong Kong pro-democratic candidates, organizers, and affiliates of the primary elections arrested on alleged violations of the national security law (NSL), specifically on charges of subversion of the state.

On January 4th, Chief Executive Carrie Lam stated that Beijing’s criticism of Hong Kong’s judiciary system was an exercise of freedom of speech. Evidently, this freedom of speech does not extend to criticisms of Beijing as demonstrated by today’s arrests. The alarming fact is that Hong Kong’s judiciary, the last mantle of rule of law, is under grave threat. The Hong Kong government hopes to dismantle and replace it with a system willing to do the Chinese regime’s bidding.

ACHK is appalled by the complicity of democratic nations. We strongly condemn these politically-driven arrests and call for the Canadian government to act.

ACHK urgently demands the Government of Canada and allied democratic nations to:

  1. Immediately invoke sanctions against human rights offenders in Hong Kong and China and those responsible for the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy
  2. Reform Canada’s foreign policy on the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Republic of China — including domestic policy changes that prioritizes the protection of Canadians’ fundamental freedom from erosion, and proactively combat and investigate Chinese Communist Party interference in Canadian society and combat foreign interference into Canadian institutions
  3. Create asylum pathways to help Hong Kongers flee mass detention, torture, and persecution, and demand amnesty for all Hong Kongers who were arrested, charged, and imprisoned for political dissidence

 


ACHK supports and welcomes Taiwanese, Tibetan, Uyghur, Chinese, and other communities who are suffering from persecution by the Chinese Communist Party. ACHK stands in solidarity with Indigenous and marginalized communities both within Canada and abroad. alliancecanadahk.com | [email protected]