Hong Kong Watch welcomes Recommendations on Hong Kong at the UN Universal Periodic Review
Today, China’s human rights record was reviewed by other UN Member States at the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva. This includes a review of human rights in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Watch welcomes the Recommendations that highlight the human rights violations in Hong Kong and is grateful that these human rights violations are monitored and that there is effort to hold China accountable at the UN.
The UN Universal Periodic Review is a mechanism by which the situation of human rights in each state is reviewed by UN Member States. The People’s Republic of China will be reviewed in early 2024, so we have contributed by providing information relevant to the human rights violations in Hong Kong from 2018 until the present.
Hong Kong Watch made three joint submissions to the UN UPR of the People’s Republic of China, focusing on human rights violations related to the 2019 pro-democracy protests, the Beijing-imposed National Security Law, and political prisoners, including Jimmy Lai. The full submissions are available here.
Last week, Hong Kong was mentioned 25 times in the Advance Questions for the UPR. This includes one question regarding the unjust imprisonment of Jimmy Lai and other questions on the repeal of the National Security Law from the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Belgium and Australia also asked questions about Hong Kong.
At the UPR today, 18 Member States made Recommendations related to human rights violations in Hong Kong, including:
Canada Recommends to "ensure Hong Kong upholds its recommendations under the ICCPR" and "repeal the current National Security Law in Hong Kong and discontinue all cases against individuals charged for exercising their rights and freedoms." Canada also notes with concern the increasing extraterritorial repression of human rights defenders.
Czechia Recommends to "repeal Hong Kong's national security law ignoring fundamental rights and freedoms and end intimidation and attacks on human rights lawyers and journalists."
Denmark Recommends to “release the writers, bloggers, journalists, human rights defenders, and others arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and guarantee this right, including in Hong Kong.”
France Recommends to "ensure freedom of expression online and in Hong Kong."
Germany Recommends to "restore full respect for the rule of law and civil society and political rights in Hong Kong."
Ireland is deeply concerned about the continued restrictions of freedom of expression including in Hong Kong. Ireland Recommends that China ratify the ICCPR, immediately release all arbitrarily detained human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society activists.
Japan Recommends to guarantee the fundamental rights and freedom "under the Hong Kong Basic Law and improve the one country, two systems" and guarantee transparent legal procedures including fair trials, right of defenders to choose their own counsel, and ratify ICCPR.
Luxembourg Recommends to "review the legal framework on National Security for Hong Kong" and bring it into line with international human rights law.
Liechtenstein Recommends to “ensure that human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers, including in Hong Kong, are not targeted for exercising their freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in line with international human rights law.”
Lithuania Recommends to “guarantee the rights of all citizens to opinion and expression without fear of reprisals and censorship in all regions including Hong Kong, Tibet, and others.”
The Netherlands is concerned about the severe decline of human rights in China, including in Hong Kong. The Netherlands Recommends to immediately implement recommendations from CERD, CESCR, and CEDAW Reviews "End online censorship and end intimidation and surveillance of media workers and journalists including in Hong Kong."
New Zealand Recommends to "implement the Human Rights Committee's 2022 recommendations to repeal the 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law and ensure processes to enact a new law are transparent and fulfill Hong Kong's commitments under the ICCPR."
Switzerland Recommends to "harmonize the law on National Security for Hong Kong with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights"
The United Kingdom Recommends to "repeal the law on Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong as recommended by the UN and cease prosecutions including of Jimmy Lai"
The USA Recommends to "cease harassment, surveillance, and threats against individuals abroad and in China including Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong", to "repeal vague national security, counter-espionage, counter-terrorism, and sedition laws, including the National Security Law in Hong Kong", and to "end repressive measures against women, LGBTQI+ persons, labourers, and migrant workers, including in Hong Kong and Macau." Finally, the USA condemned the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and transnational repression to silence individuals abroad.
Australia stated that"consistent with the Human Rights Committee and Special Procedures recommendations, including the repeal of the National Security Law in Hong Kong," Australia "called on China to cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media, and civil society."
Austria Recommends to "take urgent measures to protect judicial independence and rule of law in Hong Kong and ensure people in Hong Kong can exercise the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of speech."
Belgium Recommends to "ensure that legal measures aimed at protecting national security are strictly defined and in accordance with international human rights law, and therefore revise the security law for Hong Kong."
Sweden also stated that "the human rights situation in China, including Hong Kong, is seriously concerning" and made strong recommendations related to human rights violations in China overall.
Lord Alton of Liverpool, a Patron of Hong Kong Watch said:
“I welcome the fact that 18 Member States have made recommendations to address the human rights situation in Hong Kong in China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which covers the period since the last UPR in 2018. Over the years since the last UPR, the human rights situation in Hong Kong has deteriorated so significantly and rapidly and Hong Kong’s basic rights, freedoms, autonomy and the rule of law have been dismantled almost completely. In particular, I support the UK’s recommendation to repeal the draconian National Security Law in Hong Kong as recommended by the UN, and cease prosecutions including of Jimmy Lai.
Jimmy Lai is a British citizen and a Catholic who has been an inspiring advocate for human rights and democracy in Hong Kong. We need to continue calling for his immediate and unconditional release and an end to his show trial and political persecution. We should also condemn the outrageous decision by the Hong Kong authorities’ to name British citizens as ‘co-conspirators’, in the case of Luke de Pulford and Bill Browder, or ‘collaborators’, in the case of Benedict Rogers, in the trial of Jimmy Lai. We should also continue to demand the release of all political prisoners in Hong Kong.”
Anouk Wear, Research and Policy Advisor at Hong Kong Watch commented that
“We are grateful that an unprecedented number of UN Member States have made Recommendations that highlight and seek remedy for the human rights violations perpetrated in Hong Kong since 2018.
We urge Member States to align their domestic and foreign policies with the Recommendations made at the UPR, and hold Hong Kong accountable. This includes reviewing Hong Kong’s special status and privileges such as its HKETOs, its seats at the World Trade Organization and other organizations, and its special customs and economic zone and accompanying benefits.”
聯合國審議中國人權 香港監察歡迎18個成員國就香港提出建議
今天，聯合國成員國在日內瓦舉行的聯合國人權理事會普遍定期審議（UPR）上審議中國人權紀錄，當中包括香港人權。
香港監察歡迎針對香港侵犯人權行為的建議，並感謝成員國關注這些侵犯人權行為，致力在聯合國層面上向中國追究責任。
聯合國普遍定期審議是聯合國成員國審議各國人權狀況的機制。中國於2024年初接受審議，因此我們提供了2018年至今香港侵犯人權問題的相關資料。
香港監察早前向聯合國對中國的普遍定期審議提交三份聯合報告書。報告書重點關注涉及2019年抗爭、《國家安全法》、黎智英等政治犯的侵犯人權行為。完整報告書請見此處。
上週，香港在普遍定期審議預先提交問題中出現25次。荷蘭、瑞士、英國和美國就黎智英坐冤獄、廢除《國安法》等問題提問，比利時和澳洲提交的問題亦涉及香港。
今天在普遍定期審議上，18個成員國就香港侵犯人權問題提出建議，包括：加拿大、捷克、丹麥、法國、德國、愛爾蘭、日本、盧森堡、列支敦士登、立陶宛、荷蘭、紐西蘭、瑞士、英國、美國、澳洲、奧地利、比利時。
加拿大建議「確保香港堅守其根據《公民及政治權利國際公約》提出的建議」，並「廢除香港現行的《國家安全法》，終止所有針對因行使權利和自由而被控的人士的案件。」加拿大亦就境外鎮壓人權捍衛者日趨嚴重的情況表示關注。
英國建議「按聯合國建議廢除《香港維護國家安全法》，停止檢控黎智英等人士。」
美國建議「停止騷擾、監視和威脅中國內外（包括新疆、西藏和香港）的人士」，「廢除含糊的國家安全法、反間諜法、反恐法和煽動叛亂法，包括香港的《國家安全法》」，並「結束針對婦女、LGBTQI+人士、勞工和流動勞工的壓制措施，包括在香港和澳門的壓制措施。」最後，美國譴責新疆持續的種族滅絕和反人類罪，以及旨在壓制中國境外人士聲音的跨國鎮壓。
澳洲表示「遵從人權事務委員會和特別程序的建議，包括廢除香港的《國家安全法》」，並「呼籲中國停止壓制言論、集會、媒體和公民社會自由。」
另外，瑞典指出「包括香港在內的中國人權狀況令人非常憂慮」，並就中國整體侵犯人權問題提出有力建議。
香港監察贊助人奧爾頓勳爵（Lord Alton of Liverpool）表示：
「我歡迎18個成員國在中國普遍定期審議（UPR）上提出應對香港人權狀況的建議，有關審議涵蓋自2018年上屆普遍定期審議以來的時期。上屆普遍定期審議後的多年來，香港人權狀況顯著且迅速惡化，香港的基本權利、自由、自治和法治幾乎被徹底摧毀。我特別支持英國的建議：按聯合國建議廢除香港苛法《國安法》，停止檢控黎智英等人士。
黎智英是英國公民和天主教徒，一直倡議香港人權和民主，鼓舞人心。我們需要繼續呼籲立即無條件釋放他，結束對他的做騷公審（show trial）和政治迫害。此外，我們應該譴責香港當局在黎智英案中點名英國公民，將裴倫德（Luke de Pulford）和Bill Browder列為『共謀者』，將羅傑斯（Benedict Rogers）列為『合作者』，行為離譜。我們亦應該繼續要求釋放香港所有政治犯。」
香港監察研究及政策顧問華穆清（Anouk Wear）表示：
「我們感謝空前眾多的聯合國成員國就香港提出建議，這些建議提請關注2018年以來香港發生的侵犯人權行為並尋求補救措施。
我們促請成員國按照其在普遍定期審議提出的建議制訂國內外政策，向香港追究責任。這包括檢視香港的特殊地位和特權，例如香港經貿辦、在世界貿易組織及其他組織的會籍、特殊關稅區和經濟特區及附帶待遇。」