Hong Kong Watch launches special privileges report in Brussels
Yesterday, Hong Kong Watch launched its latest report, The Limits of Autonomy: a review of Hong Kong’s special status under ‘one country, two systems’, in the European Parliament. You can read the report here.
This event was hosted by Hong Kong Watch Patron Miriam Lexmann MEP, member of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs. It featured insights from Sarah Brooks, Deputy Regional Director for Asia at Amnesty International, and Thomas Benson, Senior Research and Policy Advisor at Hong Kong Watch and author of the new report.
Thomas Benson introduced the report’s findings and main policy questions, highlighting the ways in which the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is seeking to reinterpret ‘one country, two systems’ to extract economic and diplomatic benefits out of Hong Kong, while using national security laws to fundamentally compromise Hong Kong’s political and legal autonomy. He also warned of the exploitation of Hong Kong’s special status in national-level law and international organisations, where Hong Kong is often treated differently and preferentially to the PRC based on an understanding of its ‘high degree of autonomy’.
Sarah Brooks commented on Amnesty’s research into the erosion of the rule of law within Hong Kong and the expansion of transnational repression against diaspora activists, and the implications for foreign businesses and commercial enterprises operating within Hong Kong.
Miriam Lexmann MEP echoed the call to protect Hong Kongers living in Europe from transnational repression, and called on the European Union to be clear-eyed about the risks of engaging with the PRC as it seeks to foster new diplomatic engagement.
MEPs Susana Solís Pérez and Bernard Guetta were also present and spoke on the suppression of pro-democracy opposition parties in Hong Kong, and possible policy responses by the EU, including sanctions.
The panel concluded with a call to the European Parliament to review the status of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels, and to collaborate with allies within international organisations, including the United Nations, to highlight the ongoing erosion of civil liberties in Hong Kong and the increasing manipulation of Hong Kong’s autonomy for strategic and diplomatic ends.
This is the first of four launch events, with the others to be held in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States later this month. This launch event was funded by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD).
香港監察在歐洲議會發布香港特權報告 促檢視香港駐布魯塞爾經貿辦地位
昨天，香港監察在布魯塞爾歐洲議會發布最新報告《The Limits of Autonomy: a review of Hong Kong’s special status under ‘one country, two systems’》。請在此處閱覽報告。
活動由香港監察贊助人、歐洲議會外交事務委員會委員Miriam Lexmann MEP主持，討論講者有國際特赦組織亞洲區副主任Sarah Brooks和香港監察資深研究及政策顧問、報告作者湯柏森（Thomas Benson）。
湯柏森介紹報告發現和主要政策問題，強調中國設法重新解釋「一國兩制」以從香港身上榨取經濟及外交利益的方式，同時利用國家安全法例從根本上損害香港的政治及法律自治。他亦警告，香港在國家級法律和國際組織的特殊地位正被利用，出於對香港「高度自治」的理解，香港往往受到有別於中國的優惠待遇。
Sarah Brooks分享國際特赦組織就香港法治受損和針對海外社運人士跨國鎮壓擴張的研究工作，以及對在香港經營的外國企業和商業企業的影響。
Miriam Lexmann MEP認同保護居歐港人免受跨國鎮壓的呼籲，並呼籲歐盟在尋求促進新外交接觸時，對與中國接觸的風險保持清醒。
歐洲議會議員Susana Solís Pérez和Bernard Guetta亦有參與討論，談到打壓香港民主反對派的情況和歐盟可能採取的政策應對措施，包括制裁。
討論最後呼籲歐洲議會檢視香港駐布魯塞爾經濟貿易辦事處的地位，並與聯合國等國際組織的盟友合作，強調香港公民自由持續受損，以及為策略及外交目的而愈加操控香港自治的情況。
這是香港監察四場發布會中的第一場，其他活動將於本月稍後時間在加拿大、英國和美國舉行。這場發布會由臺灣民主基金會（TFD）資助。