"Under Threat from Hong Kong Security Law"... Amnesty Withdraws from 40-Year Hong Kong Office

Working Freely Is Practically Impossible

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] The human rights organization Amnesty International is closing its Hong Kong office due to threats under the Hong Kong National Security Law (Hong Kong Security Law).

According to Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) and AFP on the 25th, Anula Mia Sing Vice Director of Amnesty International stated in a press release that day, "We have made this decision with a heavy heart due to the Hong Kong Security Law," adding, "It has become virtually impossible for human rights organizations to work freely in Hong Kong without fear of severe retaliation from the government under the Hong Kong Security Law."

Amnesty International has operated two offices in Hong Kong for over 40 years. One is the Hong Kong office focused on human rights within Hong Kong, and the other is a regional office conducting research and human rights protection activities covering East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific region.

The Hong Kong office will withdraw by the 31st of this month, and the regional office will withdraw by the end of this year. Both offices plan to relocate to other parts of Asia and the Pacific.

Vice Director Sing said, "Hong Kong has long been an ideal regional headquarters for international civil society organizations, but recent moves targeting human rights groups and labor unions show that authorities are intensifying their campaign to eliminate all dissenting voices in Hong Kong," adding, "It has become increasingly difficult to continue working in such an unstable environment."

She continued, "It has become impossible to know what activities constitute crimes in Hong Kong," criticizing, "The pattern of raiding, arresting, and prosecuting those perceived as opposition shows how the ambiguity of the law can be manipulated by authorities to fabricate cases against targeted individuals."

The Hong Kong Security Law, enacted on June 30 last year, allows for life imprisonment for four crimes: secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign forces. According to a recent Bloomberg report, over 150 people, including key pro-democracy figures, have been arrested on charges of violating the Hong Kong Security Law as of this month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.